4.2 Specialist Skills
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Specialist Skills
Specialist Photo Imaging skills - which tend to be required at varying levels in different sub-sectors but are broadly useful across the industry - are:
An ability to recognise, grade, assess and manage colour is a rare but important skill. Whilst this has always been essential knowledge for Lab Technicians, it is now increasingly needed by Photographers as digital technology offers them the opportunity to manipulate images themselves. Within the digital workflow, knowledge of colour correction, and the ability to create or select colour profiles is crucial. Recognition that different digital equipment - e.g. monitors and printers - may display colours differently, and an understanding of how colour calibration can address this, is vital. An understanding of the principles (and differences) of how the eye sees colour, how films 'see' colour and how digital colour is produced, is essential.
Knowledge of digitisation and digital production processes is important across many roles, but particularly those within Picture Libraries and Agencies. Picture Librarians must be able to digitise an image at an appropriate resolution, and clean up scans as necessary. Researchers must understand the scanning process in order to identify sub-standard scans.
In addition, it is increasingly important that practitioners throughout the supply-chain - especially Photographers, Lab Technicians, Picture Librarians and Researchers - understand digital image manipulation issues, such as resolution, colour depth, file size, compression and file formats, as well as the inter-relationships between them. This is essential for ensuring that digital files are dealt with correctly and that an image can be provided in a format appropriate for its intended use. Knowledge of digital file management techniques is also important - in particular, appreciation of the utility of naming and archiving conventions, and data backup procedures. This ensures images are stored safely and can be quickly retrieved when needed.
Even with the widespread use of digital technology, a good understanding of basic photographic principles remains vital. Knowledge of composition, lighting, focus and depth of field, aperture and shutter speed are critical. An understanding of lenses and camera types is also important.
Underpinning all of the above is the need for a good 'artistic eye' - an ability to appreciate and respond to a good image or an opportunity to create one, and to make judgements when manipulating an image so that it is enhanced and not degraded.
Intellectual property rights are fundamental to the Photo Imaging sector. Photographers, Libraries and Agencies must know how to protect and exploit their images and ensure their moral and paternal rights are not abused. Laboratories increasingly need to ensure they are dealing with legitimately owned work.
As well as general business and financial skills, there are specific aspects that are particularly relevant to Photo Imaging. For gallery photographers, grant funding is increasingly being recognised as an alternative source of income, so knowledge of funding bodies and an ability to navigate the applications process is important. An awareness of the issues affecting Picture Libraries - particularly the often-prohibitive cost of digitising image collections and the consequent industry consolidation - is essential for Picture Researchers, who might not otherwise realise that many Libraries retain large (and often diverse or unusual) parts of their collections as transparencies.
Photographers need to have the business acumen to understand the value of their work. This is especially important in the context of royalty-free images, which entails releasing complete control over the work, and from which a few Photographers make a good living, but the vast majority do not34 . An appreciation of the value of rights-managed sales and commissioned work is vital. Photographers also need to consider what niche market opportunities are available to them in order to reduce their reliance on Library sales.
Sales skills are particularly important for Picture Libraries and Agencies, who need to be able to respond to requests for images with specialist knowledge of pricing, licensing, availability and delivery formats. Marketing is particularly important for self-employed Photographers but also applicable to most businesses across the industry. Being able to build a client base through identifying markets, researching and nurturing prospective customers, and empathising with their needs, are key skills. Within Laboratories and Photo Retailers, general customer-facing skills are equally important.
34 Crossing The Bridge, The Photographer, July 2005
Specialist Skills
Specialist Photo Imaging skills - which tend to be required at varying levels in different sub-sectors but are broadly useful across the industry - are:
- A comprehensive understanding of the principles of light and colour values
- Colour correction and profiling
- An understanding of digital imaging issues
- An understanding of basic photographic principles
- An appropriate level of visual literacy
- An ability to originate, realise and exploit creative and challenging visual ideas
- An ability to be responsive, e.g. by listening to a brief and making constructive input
- Discipline - i.e. being able to deliver on-time and within budget
- An appreciation of the principles of intellectual property rights
- Sector-specific business and financial skills and market awareness
- Sales, marketing and customer-care skills
An ability to recognise, grade, assess and manage colour is a rare but important skill. Whilst this has always been essential knowledge for Lab Technicians, it is now increasingly needed by Photographers as digital technology offers them the opportunity to manipulate images themselves. Within the digital workflow, knowledge of colour correction, and the ability to create or select colour profiles is crucial. Recognition that different digital equipment - e.g. monitors and printers - may display colours differently, and an understanding of how colour calibration can address this, is vital. An understanding of the principles (and differences) of how the eye sees colour, how films 'see' colour and how digital colour is produced, is essential.
Knowledge of digitisation and digital production processes is important across many roles, but particularly those within Picture Libraries and Agencies. Picture Librarians must be able to digitise an image at an appropriate resolution, and clean up scans as necessary. Researchers must understand the scanning process in order to identify sub-standard scans.
In addition, it is increasingly important that practitioners throughout the supply-chain - especially Photographers, Lab Technicians, Picture Librarians and Researchers - understand digital image manipulation issues, such as resolution, colour depth, file size, compression and file formats, as well as the inter-relationships between them. This is essential for ensuring that digital files are dealt with correctly and that an image can be provided in a format appropriate for its intended use. Knowledge of digital file management techniques is also important - in particular, appreciation of the utility of naming and archiving conventions, and data backup procedures. This ensures images are stored safely and can be quickly retrieved when needed.
Even with the widespread use of digital technology, a good understanding of basic photographic principles remains vital. Knowledge of composition, lighting, focus and depth of field, aperture and shutter speed are critical. An understanding of lenses and camera types is also important.
Underpinning all of the above is the need for a good 'artistic eye' - an ability to appreciate and respond to a good image or an opportunity to create one, and to make judgements when manipulating an image so that it is enhanced and not degraded.
Intellectual property rights are fundamental to the Photo Imaging sector. Photographers, Libraries and Agencies must know how to protect and exploit their images and ensure their moral and paternal rights are not abused. Laboratories increasingly need to ensure they are dealing with legitimately owned work.
As well as general business and financial skills, there are specific aspects that are particularly relevant to Photo Imaging. For gallery photographers, grant funding is increasingly being recognised as an alternative source of income, so knowledge of funding bodies and an ability to navigate the applications process is important. An awareness of the issues affecting Picture Libraries - particularly the often-prohibitive cost of digitising image collections and the consequent industry consolidation - is essential for Picture Researchers, who might not otherwise realise that many Libraries retain large (and often diverse or unusual) parts of their collections as transparencies.
Photographers need to have the business acumen to understand the value of their work. This is especially important in the context of royalty-free images, which entails releasing complete control over the work, and from which a few Photographers make a good living, but the vast majority do not34 . An appreciation of the value of rights-managed sales and commissioned work is vital. Photographers also need to consider what niche market opportunities are available to them in order to reduce their reliance on Library sales.
Sales skills are particularly important for Picture Libraries and Agencies, who need to be able to respond to requests for images with specialist knowledge of pricing, licensing, availability and delivery formats. Marketing is particularly important for self-employed Photographers but also applicable to most businesses across the industry. Being able to build a client base through identifying markets, researching and nurturing prospective customers, and empathising with their needs, are key skills. Within Laboratories and Photo Retailers, general customer-facing skills are equally important.
34 Crossing The Bridge, The Photographer, July 2005
