If you are a creative and passionate photographer, you do not need to worry about an interview.
Well, the way we look at it, you have all the knowledge you need in your head – as opposed to having to read up on it extensively!
But yes, there may be some parts that you will need to read up on – basic concepts and all. But your creativity is what you will mostly be judged on during an interview.
To prepare for your interview for a photographer position, make sure you have your creative profile ready.
So if you are a photographer, you will need a set of artistically shot photographs, a couple of projects, and maybe a publication to lend credibility to your claim.
Keep these things ready to take along – your work will do most of the answering.
You may come across a question or two regarding your “inspiration”. Be careful – the interviewer is attempting to find out how unique you are.
If you say a certain photographer inspires you, you may fail to impress the interviewer. Think of alternatives to what other people would say. But whatever you say, has to be in sync with what you really feel.
Here is a set of interview questions and answers for a photographer position that should help you.
35 Common Photographer Interview Questions and Answers
1. Tell me a little about yourself.
Photography has held great meaning for me all my life. It was about 8 years ago that I took up professional training classes, and started working as a professional photographer. Since then, I have done many photography projects, and my work is loved by my clients.
2. Why should we hire you?
Utilizing my energy and vast experience, I can contribute significantly to your organization. With my aesthetic sense, I believe I can bring fresh ideas and innovation to your company.
I have worked alongside other photographers and creative artists. Therefore, I trust myself to be a good team player. Moreover, I possess excellent customer service skills; that’s why people are very comfortable communicating with me their thoughts and ideas.
3. How long have you been working in the photography arena?
I have been working as a professional photographer for over four years.
4. Why did you choose this line of work?
I am passionate about photography; taking photos is an integral part of my life. I was very young when I first interacted with a camera, and I have not stopped since then. I was sure from the beginning that this was the field I wanted to be a part of.
5. What, in your opinion, are some of the main duties of a photographer?
Photographers perform many duties, including setting up photographic equipment, handling prop settings, and providing clients and subjects with information on how to pose and sit or stand. In addition, it is their job to take proper pictures and minimize retakes. Post-photography work such as editing and retouching is also part of the work of a photographer.
6. What is your expertise as a photographer?
I am a professional event and commercial photographer. As an event photographer, I have a track record of covering a variety of events, which especially include weddings, social events, and private parties.
In regard to commercial photography, I have working experience with restaurants and retailers, furniture, apparel, cosmetics, and jewelry brands/retailers.
7. What were the challenges that you most commonly faced and how did you deal with them?
At the beginning of my career, I felt dealing with people was a little cumbersome because I feel not all people understood the seriousness of this field. I feel that people expect that once photographs are shot, the next step for photographers is just to hand them over.
Post-processing is an essential part of this field and experience has taught me that we have to make clients realize that there is much more to photography than meets the eye.
8. What do you enjoy the most about your job as a photographer?
As a photographer, you get to meet a variety of people coming from different backgrounds. I thoroughly enjoy this factor the most as it provides an enriching learning experience about different people, what they are expecting from you as a photographer, and how you deal with their needs and provide them with complete client satisfaction.
9. Have you ever faced a difference of opinion with a client? How did you handle it?
Yes, I have quite a few times. The most common one was about the client being unable to understand why it takes a while to hand over the final wedding album. However, I was always successful in calmly explaining the reasons to them, and the disputes were easily resolved.
10. If you were to give advice to someone about how to become a photographer, what would you say? What would you not say?
I would definitely not tell him or her to buy a camera. That is the wrong approach. My advice would be to leave home and observe. Pick out what interests you and see how you can capture it in your mind’s eye. Photography is initially a state of mind.
11. What inspires you?
People doing their everyday chores inspire me. It could be something as simple as a woman driving to work or a fisherman cleaning his net. There is a story in every scene. And the reason to capture the moment in every story.
12. How do you make a picture stand out?
A lot of work goes into making a picture stand out. You concentrate on one or two items in the composition at the very maximum. You dig deep and you carve out something that means a lot to you. And then you do the clicking. It takes great time and effort.
13. What does photography mean to people? What does it mean to you?
Photography means different things to different people. For some, it is a form of self-expression. For others, it is merely a conquest. For me, it is a form of conversation. If the subject is caught well, it communicates on a different level with different viewers. It is a beautiful way of communicating.
14. In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of working as a photographer?
I feel that looking for the right locations is the most difficult. When you have a session in mind, you have to ensure that the entire composition is in sync with it. Selecting proper locations is not an easy job.
15. Do you like working with people?
Oh yes. I love working with people from different backgrounds. There is so much that one learns when one works with people.
16. What is the main skill that you possess which makes you an excellent person to hire?
I feel that my ability to choose the right places, props and people is the main reason to hire me. I can effectively handle complex photoshoots, with exceptional results.
17. How do you handle back-to-back photography projects?
Unless I know that I can handle more than one shoot in a day, I do not take them up. If I can, I make sure that I time them in a way that I get ample rest in between.
18. Why do you feel that rest is important between photography stints?
Photography is a creative work. One’s mind and body are always on the go. Resting is important so that end results are not compromised due to exhaustion.
19. What do you like most about the photography work?
I love the fact that I can be as creative as I want, and no one can say much about it.
20. What do you like least about this work?
I wouldn’t say that I dislike anything about this work. However, I feel that this kind of creativity and effort does burn one down quite quickly.
21. Describe your favorite workday.
An ideal workday would be when everything from the location to the clients is perfectly managed. Ideal days are few and far between, but I manage to take pride in my work every day.
22. How do you handle irate clients?
Thankfully, I have not had many irate clients, as I make an effort to understand what they want before a shoot begins, and then deliver exactly that. When a client does get upset, I make sure that I listen to them, and resolve their issues as best as possible.
23. What is your biggest strength?
My biggest strength is my ability to work on many different photography projects and perform all of them well.
24. What is your biggest weakness?
Sometimes I feel that I spend too much time editing and retouching images. This is because I want to work with great perfection.
25. How do you intend to overcome this weakness?
The way I see it, it is a weakness and a strength as well. I am in the process of looking for a middle ground so that I can work with perfection, yet not spend too much unnecessary time on projects.
26. Do you think post-production is as important as the actual shoot?
For sure. I think post-production is where the beauty of a photoshoot comes out. So, I spend a lot of time and effort on post-production tasks.
27. Do you like working in a team environment?
Photography is teamwork, to be honest. One has to work with people to set up equipment, and take shots. I like working in team environments. However, I can work as easily alone when needed.
28. How important is it to work with clients to discuss images?
At the end of the day, it is the clients who decide whether my work is good or not. Therefore, it is very important to work alongside clients and to take their views and suggestions into account when working on any photography project.
29. What is your biggest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment is being chosen to cover a royal wedding some years ago.
30. What are some of the work processes that you perform in post-production?
Some popular processes that I perform include changing emphasis, cropping pictures, enhancing colors and tones, moving objects, and correcting minor faults.
31. What kind of work environment do you like best?
I love working in an environment that gives me a free hand to do what I want to, creatively speaking.
32. Tell me about a tough decision that you had to make recently.
I was recently asked to cover an event. The client was rude in the first meeting. He kept saying things that made me feel as if I was a lesser being. It was a huge project and there was a lot of money involved. However, I decided to decline the offer as I felt uncomfortable working with someone breathing down my neck. I politely declined, but it was quite a tough decision to make.
33. How do you handle disagreements with clients?
My method is simple – never disagree with the client unless I feel that the end result will be compromised highly. If such an event occurs, I make sure that I politely inform them about my views, and then take it from there.
34. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I have always aimed high. Within the next 5 years, I intend to work on projects that I feel are beyond my reach at this point in time.
35. Do you have any questions for me?
I would love to know more about a few of your photography projects. I have been in awe of the end results and would like to know how you managed it.