
How to Write a Resume According to Science in 2023
How do you write a resume? With so many conflicting opinions out there, we’ve set out to find the ultimate answer to this question.
You’re a sniper, and you leave the “spray and pray” for the amateurs. Like a darkroom, it’s time to develop your photographer resume so it’s ready for employers to gush over.
Whether they’re cityscapes, composites, photojournalism, or abstract shots, you’re no average shutterbug. You’re a professional photographer with the skills to back it up.
But, unlike bokeh effects, you don’t want to be twinkling in the background. You need to be the image they focus on, upfront and center, with the perfect photographer resume they’ll see.
In this guide:
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Seeking other creative resume examples for professions related to photography? Try these:
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Now—
Harold J. Rosenblatt
Certified Professional Photographer (CPP)
harold.rosenblatt@gmail.com
757-988-2269
linkedin.com/in/harold.rosenblatt
rosenblattllcportfolio.com
Summary of Qualifications
Passionate professional photographer with over 10 years of experience with editorial, landscape and event photography. Skilled at wedding photography, photojournalism, and portraits. Photos published online and in print in major publications, including within the Daily Press. Won the 2018 Virginia State Photograthon for Editorial Photographer Of the Year. Seeking to leverage eye for detail and knowledge of editorial concepts to be the staff photographer at Davie Price Media Group.
Equipment & Camera Models Owned
Work Experience
Editorial Photographer
August 2015–September 2019
Daily Press Newspaper, Newport News, VA
Key Achievements
Wedding Photographer
May 2011–August 2015
Mid-Atlantic Photography Studio, Newport News, VA
Key Achievements
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Photography
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Graduation: 2013
Relevant Coursework: Black-and-White Darkroom, Photojournalism and Art, Documentary Videography, Light and Shadow, Visual Journalism, Digital Photography, Chemistry of Artist's Materials, Chemistry of Pigments, Biological Significance of Art and Technology.
Key Skills
Certifications
Memberships
Languages
Photographers are visual artists who captures images using a camera. They use their creative and technical skills to create and edit high-quality images that meet the expectations of their clients. Photographers can specialize in many fields of photography, like portraits, landscapes, or wildlife.
Here’s how to write a photographer resume that’s picture perfect:
Some shots capture a tense moment, like a photojournalist framing a Molotov cocktail midair over a crowds’ political protest. Other times (think modeling photo shoots), it takes time to set up for the perfect picture.
Treat your resume like a photoshoot—
If you don’t format a resume right, your interview chances are as dead as the subjects of memento mori photography. So—
Here’s how to format a photographer resume template perfectly:
Use a strong and clean visual format. Avoid dense blocks of text. Triple check spelling and grammar. Doing these things will make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to read your resume and remember you when it counts.
Expert Hint: In the address on a resume, within your contact details, be sure to provide a link to your photography portfolio. Oh, and fix it up. Interviewers and agency directors will want to see your best work, and any unfinished website or photo albums will turn them off.
Like Lightroom’s loupe function, employers peer closely at photography resumes’ opening statements (also known as resume summary). These brief paragraphs, known as either a summary or objective, give them a quick introduction to you as a candidate.
It needs to catch their attention—
If you don’t interest them here, they’ll discard your resume as if it were an image my father took (every photo he shot had his finger in the frame; it became a sort of extended family member). But which intro paragraph to pick?
If you have years of pro photography expertise, go with the summary paragraph.
The resume summary intrigues them to consider you further by introducing you to them and talking up your photography experience and shot-taking skills. To add the cherry on top, it gives a numbered accomplishment for verification of your photography talents.
Here’s how to write a creative photographer resume summary:
Can you notice what separates the good example from the bad one?
First, the “bad” freelance photographer resume sample is generic, while the “good” one is a targeted resume tailored specifically for one job and company.
Going further, the “good” example gives numbers (in this case, the year of their photography award). In the “bad” example, there’s no way for the studio director to determine just how skilled the candidate is as a photographer. But—
What about when writing a photography resume with no experience?
When you’ve no experience as a professional photographer, such as on a freelance photography resume, go with the objective paragraph.
The photography resume objective statement impresses them with your freelance work, or it shows them you have the skills to be a great photographer from other work you’ve done. It also talks up your career plans and goals as a professional photographer. Finally, it gives them a quantifiable achievement to prove your value, as well.
Here’s how to write an objective statement on a resume for photographer jobs:
Just like with our last resume examples, this second one is as outdated as the daguerreotype process—
No employer wants a generic resume heading, but all want some form of numbers attached to a particular photography win.
The first example, however, is fully developed and ready for them to view.
Expert Hint: Do you send a photography resume with a photograph? In the United States, it is not suggested for you to add a photo onto a resume unless you’re a model or actor. There’s really no reason the employer needs to see you with a resume photograph, and they probably can find you online anyway.
The work history section is where you influence the employer to hire you based on your past employment. Don’t drone on with a list of photographer duties you performed. Instead—
Here’s how to describe past experience on a resume for photographers:
Here are two photography resume examples of job descriptions:
Editorial Photographer
August 2015–September 2019
Daily Press Newspaper, Newport News, VA
Key Achievements
Freelance Photographer
May 2013–July 2019
Self-Employed, Virginia Beach, VA
Job Responsibilities:
See these?
In the second photographer job description resume section, it’s just a dull list of past duties. The first photographer resume sample, though, gives plenty of details, uses keywords based on the job description, and adds quantifiable accomplishments.
High contrast, indeed.
After that—a section with resume skills. Think about photography job openings as the smallest aperture you can find—f/2000. And, like any narrow aperture, it means it captures a wide field.
According to the report by the US Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projection, between 2020 and 2030, there will be a 17% grow. It means more comptetion for you. So, prove to them you’re the best cameraperson they can possibly find with a curated list of the most in-demand skills for photographers.
Here is a list of sample photography skills resume section inclusions:
But hold up a sec.
Don’t put a list of 25 photographer skills on a resume (never go above 10). Don’t even put these particular skills we’ve listed above.
Instead, refer back to the photographer job description. Find the skills this photography studio or marketing department wants from their job responsibilities.
If you have a skill that matches something from the ad, that’s what you should list in a photographer resume skills section.
Expert Hint: You know how important the right file format is. As such, save photographer resumes you send out in the PDF format. The employer may have a hard time reading a Microsoft Word resume, depending on their device and browser, but a PDF resume looks right anywhere.
The name of your resume file matters! If you use a file name such as “resume” or “new_resume” you won’t stand out and your file can be difficult to sort. It can also give the impression that you don’t really care about the job enough to pay attention to details. Instead of a generic file name, use a format such as: “firstname_lastname_resume.PDF” to make it easier for an employer to find your documents.
The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.
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There’s no trade requirement which says a photographer needs a minimum education to get hired. However, employers still want to see education on a resume with your academic accomplishments in focus and its format cropped to perfection.
Here’s a photography resume sample of a top education section:
B.F.A. in Photography
New York Film Academy, New York, NY
Completion: 2019
Relevant Coursework: Space, Form, and Process, Black and White Photography, Light Color Design Studio, Themes in Art and Culture, Digital Cinema, Large Format Photography, Science of Light, History of Art and Design, Professional Practices in Photography.
Here’s how to make your own just like it:
Expert Hint: If you’ve completed a degree at a college, whether it’s a photography degree or otherwise, leave high school off.
Employers have a large depth of field when it comes to the amount of photography resumes to go through. Want to gain the longest exposure when it comes to considering you for an interview?
Include more than just the core sections we’ve talked about.
Below are some of the best additional sections to add to any photography resume template for it to sparkle and shine:
Photography Organizations & Associations
Equipment & Professional Camera Makes & Models
Knowledge of a Second Language
Expert Hint: Know what pairs well with a photographer resume? A great photography cover letter. Always include a cover letter, because most creative heads and photography studio employers prefer it.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Let’s recap—
Here’s how to create a photography resume that steals the show:
Have any questions on how to write a photographer assistant resume or a photography resume for beginners? Need help documenting your professional photographer resume achievements? Let’s talk below in the comment area, and thanks for reading!
How do you write a resume? With so many conflicting opinions out there, we’ve set out to find the ultimate answer to this question.
You can stop searching—this is the ultimate collection of best resume tips that can help you succeed in 2023. These resume writing tips will help to impress hiring managers.
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