Photo Imaging - Careers
The work of the General Practice (GP) or Social Photographer is diverse and engaging, and can be both financially and creatively rewarding. Activities typically combine a blend of social, advertising, commercial and industrial photography. However, the main source of income for most GPs is undoubtedly social photography, which embraces individual and family portraiture and the formal recording of family and social occasions, such as weddings, anniversaries and other special events.
Approximately half of all photographers work as General Practice Photographers, providing high quality photographic services for their local communities.
What is the job?
The General Practice Photographer is commissioned by private individuals, small businesses and local organisations to undertake a wide variety of photographic assignments, most typically portraiture, wedding and commercial photography. They often work from a studio located in a prominent town centre location, or in some cases, set up temporary studios in department stores or supermarkets. These mobile facilities are particularly popular with customers wishing to commission portraits of children and pets, and are also useful for promoting events photography. In addition to traditional studio portraiture, there is an increasing demand to shoot social portraits in the sitter's home or workplace. Weekend working is unavoidable, particularly during the lucrative summer wedding season.
Many GPs work for local businesses and advertising agencies, producing images for use on posters, in brochures and other promotional material. They may also supplement their income working for local newspapers or producing images for sale through picture libraries and websites. While some GPs carry out their own processing and printing, most establish good relationships with a professional laboratory and concentrate on taking photographs. The advent of high-quality digital photography means that many GPs now carry out their own digitisation, scanning and image manipulation work. However, this may add greatly to the photographer's workload, and can prove a false economy for inexperienced practitioners.
The GP's biggest competitor is the serious amateur photographer. GPs must therefore have an effective marketing strategy supporting a value-added service that an amateur cannot hope to match. This is typically achieved by offering a combination of web-based ordering systems, professional image enhancing services, a faster turnaround, larger prints, photo-DVDs, bound albums or professional framing services. GPs may therefore spend a significant proportion of their time on marketing promotions and other aspects of running a small business, rather than taking photographs.
Typical career routes
Many General Practice Photographers start out by assisting an established photographer and learn on the job (see the Job Profile for Assistant Photographer). This can provide invaluable experience, offering the opportunity to meet clients, art directors, models, etc., to hear their discussions with photographers, and to understand the details of the preparation, execution and presentation necessary to the job. General Practice Photographers may also start out as a Press Photographer or Photojournalist before making a lateral move into this area of work.
Essential knowledge and skills
Successful GPs need to be well organised, practical and versatile in order to succeed in this competitive area. In addition to their visual flair and technical abilities, GPs need to have good business and administrative skills, strong motivation, and the self-confidence to promote themselves widely.
GPs must be able to master a wide range of different areas and styles of photography, and the related lighting techniques. They should also keep up to date with the latest digital processes and image manipulation software to ensure they can take full advantage of this rapidly evolving technology. Sophisticated systems are available for viewing and ordering prints online, and GPs should seek to embrace and exploit this web-based technology in order to remain successful.
While General Practice Photography is not as stressful as some other areas of professional photography, customer expectations surrounding portraiture and events photography can be very high. GPs therefore need to develop excellent communications and interpersonal skills: weddings are often exercises in crowd control, while coaxing a natural smile out of a nervous subject or an unwilling child requires patience and charm. GPs should exercise caution and common sense in all interactions with their subjects, as well as being punctual, discreet and well mannered. But above all, they must provide a consistently high quality of service to members of the public.
Training and qualifications
No set academic qualifications are required to work as a GP. There are, however, many excellent college courses around the country that provide a thorough technical grounding in the various areas of photography that GPs are expected to master. Some colleges also operate effective work placement schemes, which help students make contacts and gain invaluable experience before they graduate. The Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) offered by the BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photography) has a good reputation with employers. The PQE has traditionally taken the form of an additional year's course following on from a Higher National Diploma (HND). Today it is often incorporated into a three year degree programme. Eight colleges and universities in England and two colleges in Scotland currently offer the PQE (see the BIPP website for further details).
Many GPs have no academic training and instead start out by assisting an established photographer, or group of photographers, and learn the various creative, technical and business skills on the job (see the Job Profile for Assistant Photographer). Prospective employers may request to see a portfolio of photographs. This should be well presented and consist of 10 to15 prints or images on CD-ROM, that reveal a broad range of skills and competencies.
Many practitioners start out by assisting an established photographer and learn on the job. Employers may support work-based qualifications, such as Apprenticeships and NVQ/SVQs. Photo Imaging NVQ/SVQs are currently available at levels 2, 3 and 4.
Membership of a professional association such as the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP), the Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers (SWPP) and Master Photographers Association (MPA) may also be beneficial. These associations offer a range of qualifications, usually awarded after portfolio submission, enabling a candidate to benchmark their skills against other successful practitioners working in the industry.
Health & Safety - Photographers may be subject to physical stresses from carrying heavy camera equipment and lighting indoors and out, in all seasons, come rain or shine. They should therefore seek advice about appropriate techniques for lifting and moving equipment. In addition, GPs need to understand Health & Safety legislation, and should be capable of assessing and managing the risks and potential dangers associated with the use of electrical lighting, equipment and props. They should also ensure that they have a current Public Liability insurance policy to cover their working practices.
For this information and more, please view the attached PDF. 
General Practice or Social Photographer
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