"Every click of the camera tells a story. The narrative of someone's family, the places people want to visit, or the moments that people never want to forget; I get to freeze these moments in time and share them with the people who appreciate my work. Even though this career started as a hobby, it quickly became a passion. 

Now, I get to cover events, tell stories, save history, and support an organization's marketing efforts. As the person standing behind the camera, I know everything I capture is different, a unique moment in time, and important for my customer."

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Job Description

SOC Code: 27-4021

Photographers photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.*

*Source: This information is based on O*NET™ data. O*NET is a trademark registered to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Top Job Skills:

• Customer service
• Photo retouching
• Studio production
• Social media content
• Maintain equipment

General Work Activities 

• Mental Processes
  • Determine technical requirements of productions or projects
  • Create graphics or animations
• Interacting With Others
  • Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products
  • Confer with clients to determine needs
  • Coordinate activities of production personnel
• Information Input
  • Review art or design materials
• Work Output
  • Set/operate up still or video cameras or related equipment
  • Convert data among multiple digital or analog formats
  • Apply finishes to artwork, crafts, or displays
  • Maintain records, documents, or other files
  • Maintain recording or broadcasting equipment

Source: SC Works Online Services (SCWOS)

*All data is factual, but names, Images, and quotations have been adapted to protect the Identity of employees and businesses.

Job Statistics

 

 

 

Examples of Workforce Areas with Job Openings

• Trident
• Midlands
• Greenville
• Pee Dee
• Catawba
• Waccamaw

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area.

Examples of Employers with Job Openings

• Mom365, Inc.
• CoStar Group, Inc.
• Sinclair, Inc.
• Gray Media, Inc.
• Hearst Communications, Inc.
• Lander University

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area

Related Occupations

• Art Directors
• Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators
• Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
• Special Effects Artists and Animators

NOTE: All data based on state averages. Information may vary depending on region, experience, and specific employment situation. Last Updated: 2025

Learn More with SCWOS

SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) is the state’s largest job database and provides all of South Carolina's job postings from all major sites, including Monster and Career Builder, in one resource. SCWOS has thousands of positions listed by employers all over the state. To access SCWOS, visit jobs.scworks.org.

Find in-depth breakdowns of occupational statistics such as necessary job certifications, job skills and abilities, current job openings, overview of general work activities, and more by visiting O*NET.org.