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Photographer

Creative

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Creative Arts & Media

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
  2. 2Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
  3. 3Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
  4. 4Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
  5. 5Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
  6. 6Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
  7. 7Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
  8. 8Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.
  9. 9Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
  10. 10Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.
  11. 11Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.
  12. 12Review sets of photographs to select the best work.
  13. 13Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras.
  14. 14Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff.
  15. 15Perform maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment working properly.
  16. 16Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.
  17. 17Direct activities of workers setting up photographic equipment.
  18. 18Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.
  19. 19Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court.
  20. 20Load and unload film.
  21. 21Engage in research to develop new photographic procedures and materials.
  22. 22Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.
  23. 23Write photograph captions.
  24. 24Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.
  25. 25Produce computer-readable, digital images from film, using flatbed scanners and photofinishing laboratories.
  26. 26Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.
  27. 27License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.
  28. 28Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Photo Editor
  • Photographer
  • Photographers
  • Photojournalist
  • Photo Journalist
  • Food Photographer
  • News Photographer
  • Event Photographer
  • Sales Photographer
  • Still Photographer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationSome college

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on Communications and Media — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service94%
  • Sales and Marketing90%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Computers and Electronics84%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Administration and Management77%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Communications and Media75%

    EnglishBahasa Melayu

  • English Language75%

    English

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsOften
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherOften
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Engage in research to learn technological developments and techniques or to develop new photographic procedures and materials.
  • Operate drones to capture aerial photographs and videos, following all regulatory guidelines.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

2%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Photographers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org