How to become a photographer

There’s more to this career path than Instagram filters.

There’s nothing quite like capturing a moment – at a wedding, sporting event or special occasion. Photographers take responsibility for recording memories that will never happen again. We entrust them with our most treasured events and important days. So what’s the first step you should take to join their serried ranks?

“Take photos!” says Dr. Pia Johnson, Lecturer of Photography at RMIT. “Just keep taking photos and find the thing that you’d love to photograph. That’s for me probably the key advice – you just have to keep doing it. Work hard. That’s kind of it, you know.”

How to become a photographer

So you’re taking photos, like Pia said. Now, you could point your phone at a majestic sunset, slap on a filter and call yourself a photographer, but there’s more to learn if you want to build a successful career behind the lens. That’s especially true when it comes to supplementary skills such as interpreting client briefs, shooting in different locations and working with models – whether they’re humans, products or pets.

“The thing about going the next step, and wanting to be more than just an Instagram photographer, is about understanding the history of photography,” Pia explains. “What photography can do and how you can communicate your ideas in a really skilled way.”

Apply to a photography course

A person in jeans, a white short-sleeved shirt and a brown tie lounges in long green grass.

Certificate IV in Photography and Digital Imaging

Focused on highly practical skills, this certificate will set you up with everything you need to work as a photographer’s assistant.

A landscape photograph of a golf course at sunset.

Diploma of Photography and Digital Imaging

Build your technical and artistic skills in harness – so you’re learning how to use the camera as well as what to use it for.

A black and white photo looking up at a forest of trees.

Bachelor of Arts (Photography)

Integrate theory, practice and industry-based models of learning, preparing you for the world of work.

A photograph of the exterior of a traditional Chinese building.

Master of Photography

Get deep into topics like the relationships between technology and image-making, while encouraging experimentation and taking creative risks – how to express yourself at a really high level.

Explore RMIT's photography courses

“The other thing is, you get to know what the other people in your class are engaged and interested in, because that's going to be totally different from what you might be into taking photos of,” says Pia. “You learn from each other, too. You put your work up on the wall and discuss what you're trying to do, then see what your peers are getting from the images you make. That part is quite instrumental and really hands-on – you’re putting yourself on the line, but it’s so worthy because the community that you make at university is the one you're going to go out into the industry and keep making work with.”

Create a portfolio and promote yourself

Before they hire you, most people will want to see examples of your work. A digital portfolio allows potential clients to gain a sense of your style as well as what you’re capable of.

“Any good portfolio is about revealing how you uniquely see the world,” explains Pia. “So I don't want to see images that look like everybody else's images. I want to see how your creative and artistic energy is flowing through photography.

“Also, you should only ever put in the strongest images that you make. A lot of students feel like they need to show the breadth of the work they can do. You know, I can do a bit of architecture, I can do a bit of product photography, I can do some portraits. But when it comes to putting yourself forward to get into a course or to get a client, people want to see your best work and they want to see it in a way that's really easy and clean.”

Social media is an obvious way to showcase your skills and style, as well as connect with an audience. “You have to be really upfront and self-promote,” says Pia. “That's definitely part of being a successful photographer. You have to be good at business skills: communications and invoicing and quotes as well. That idea of old-school networking doesn't have to be in person anymore, it can be online or social media. But I think you need to know what's going on in the field that you're wanting to get work in.”

A red light shines on a shirtless man leaning against a wall next to a window. Red balloons fall around him, one covers his face. Outside the window is early evening and a view of a cityscape.

What's the photography industry like?

In Australia, the professional photographic services industry has grown in recent years. Photographers work primarily as freelancers, with some staff roles still available in areas you might not immediately think of.

“With a university qualification, you're learning wider skills that you actually can get jobs in – literally a full-time studio job that didn't exist 10 years ago,” says Pia. “You may not end up being the person who's pressing the shutter. You might be assisting, you might be doing digital retouching or you might just be a technical studio person. And in some of the big commercial studios, they do hire people on salaries.

“You see a lot more crossover now, more flexibility to get into graphic design or videos, doing a whole range of side projects or working in studios with other creatives. That, again, wasn't really there 10-20 years ago.”

Learn more about your photography study options

Whether you're a Year 12 student weighing up your options, thinking about switching careers or a professional looking to expand your skills, RMIT is ranked #1 in Australia and #18 globally for Art and Design^ and has a range of vocational, undergraduate, and postgraduate courses for domestic and international students that give you access to specialist facilities to help develop your identity as a photographer.

Explore RMIT's photography courses

^Source: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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Acknowledgement of Country

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