Photographer Resume Sample

Being a professional photographer is a dream job for many people. If you have an eye for capturing the world around you and know how to market your creative skills, there are plenty of opportunities to forge your own career path.

Some photographers work in-house for studios, whereas others choose to be self-employed and will need to list self-employment on their resume. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, salaried jobs will soon become more difficult to find as companies offer more contracts to freelancers.

That means it’s now more important than ever to have a top photographer resume. Use these tried and true tips to create an application that is as striking as your best images.

1. Balance Creativity with Professionalism

It’s a fine line – your photographer resume needs to showcase your creative side, but it shouldn’t venture too far from the three established resume formats standard across most industries.

Our candidate manages to toe that line successfully:

First, he uses a modern resume template with a large image header that sets a visual tone for the entire document. The background highlights his name and therefore his brand – making sure it sticks in the hiring manager’s mind.

By using a two-column format, our candidate’s contact details are presented clearly in the top right corner. Instead of just including his basic information, he also adds his LinkedIn profile, photography portfolio, and Instagram.

Candidates in most industries (including photography) should avoid adding personal social media links. However, our particular applicant built a large Instagram following to drive his business, making it a valuable addition to his freelance photographer resume.

Finally, his resume is rounded off with a traditional skills section that includes a mix of hard vs soft skills, an education section, and an awards section.

While the resume content is kept strictly formal, our candidate’s portfolio can act as an online supplement and include anything – from the best examples of his work to a list of notable clients.

Remember: Your photography resume should look the part, but don’t sacrifice professionalism for unnecessary design touches.

2. Effectively Capture Your Experience

Your experience section is the foundation of your resume. It presents an opportunity to give the hiring manager a clear and accurate snapshot of your career and achievements.

To set yourself apart from other candidates, it’s crucial to make your resume accomplishments oriented. Follow these three steps to make sure you do it right:

Add powerful action verbs

Action verbs give your job descriptions more character. Starting an experience bullet point with a strategic action verb shows that you have initiative – a trait photographers need to get the best gigs.

Here are some effective verbs taken from our photographer resume example:

capture / create / cultivate / build / manage / assist / monitor / implement / ensure

Can’t think of great ones for your own application? Check out the longest list of action verbs in the universe to find the vocabulary you need to make the most impact.

Use quantification

Stating job responsibilities on your resume is meaningless if you don’t prove how you handled them. Thankfully, there’s a way to do so without too much difficulty, and it’s called quantification. For example:

Employers love it when you measure your wins with numbers, timeframes, percentages, and dollars because it shows exactly what you can offer their company. Tell the truth, of course – but don’t be modest about your accomplishments.

You can also use quantification to describe your achievements in your photographer cover letter.

Use the PAR method

Now it’s time to put it all together by combining the right vocabulary with measurable achievements. Use this formula for each bullet:

• Problem: Identify a job responsibility or issue
• Action: Explain how you addressed the problem
• Results: State the outcome of your action

For example:

Implemented a new system to schedule meetings with clients, which led to a 10% increase in monthly bookings.

By following these three simple steps, the content of your photographer resume will already be miles ahead of the competition.

3. Open With a Resume Summary

Your resume introduction is the first thing a hiring manager will read. This is your elevator pitch, so it’s vital to get it right and make a positive first impression.

Depending on your experience and level of expertise, there are three common formats that have been followed for years:

• Summary of Qualifications  – perfect if you have plenty of skills and accomplishments, and you’re applying for a senior in-house photographer role

• Resume Objective – ideal for entry-level candidates looking to get their first gig because it’s targeted at a specific position

• Resume Profile – a flexible introduction that is handy when uploading a freelance photographer resume to job search sites and LinkedIn

Our candidate doesn’t use any of these, however. He has a secret weapon – his resume begins with a professional resume summary.

How to write a resume summary

Resume summaries replace lengthy statements with subheadings that give the reader immediate insight into your strengths. They also provide evidence that you can deliver results.

Here’s how it looks on our photographer resume sample:

Each subheading is one of your key competencies. These are then backed up with an example of when you used the skill before, plus the result.

Think of it like composing a photograph – symmetry and framing are used to capture the eye.

As well as being visually striking, a resume summary is also easy to write:

Competency: example of your responsibility + result achieved

Choose the introduction format that is right for you and you’re off to a running start.

Time to Land Your Next Gig

To recap, here’s what you need to do to write an exceptional photographer resume:

• Choose a creative yet professional photographer resume template
• Make your experience achievement oriented
• Write an effective resume introduction using one of the four styles

Finally, pair it with a matching cover letter template and get ready for the interviews to start rolling in.

To help you get started, we have an extensive library of resume templates that are free to download.

Or, if you want to be even more confident in your application, our free and recently improved resume builder will create the perfect photographer resume in minutes.