One of the interesting(?) features available to web site owners is the ability to see what search phrases are used to find their site. One such phrase used several times to find this site is: “photography companies hiring photographers”.
Very few “photography companies” have staff photographers:
• Newspapers. But the newspaper industry is collapsing and the hiring of photographers is rare. The number of staff news photographers in the USA is expected to drop by 30% over the next seven years. Canada should be similar.
• Government. A few government offices have staff photographers but this has been mostly replaced by freelancers and occasional contract work. It’s surprising and short-sighted that municipal governments don’t all have staff photographers and photo departments.
• The military. But I doubt it’s much of a photography company.
• Private business. A tiny (and getting tinier) number of companies have staff photographers. Although, some businesses could really benefit by having staff photographers.
• Retail stores. Walmart, Sears, Loblaws, etc. hire people to work in their portrait studios. Usually, no experience is required. On slow days, the “photographer” may have to help out in other areas of the store.
• Some larger photo studios have full-time assistants.
• Door-to-door baby photography and school photography. These companies are always looking for photographers to go to homes and schools to photograph babies/students. There’s probably a reason why the turnover of these photographers is high.
When it comes to photographers, the Canadian government said in 2012:
Job prospects in this occupation are limited.
The positive effects of the growing use of audiovisual media have not been enough to offset the negative effects of the development of image banks and the appropriation of photographers’ work by members of other occupations. (…)
This occupation will only provide a few job openings over the next few years. Competition for these positions will be stiff. Despite the unprofitable work and the few available positions, this occupation attracts a large number of candidates.
The government’s employment outlook for photographers in Quebec is “limited”. There’s no reason to suspect that it would be much different in other provinces.
In Canada, about 63% of photographers are self-employed. Coincidentally, in the US, this number is exactly the same. Personally, I think this number is far too low. Nevertheless, according to 2009 census data, the average self-employed rate for all occupations combined is only 16% (ugly graph).
According to Statistics Canada (select occupation category F121), in 2000, the average photographer earned $30,223 and the average for all occupations was $36,097. In 2005, the average photographer dropped to $25,252 whereas the average for all occupations rose to $38,226.
As of 2006, there were 13,335 photographers (category F121) in Canada.
If someone is searching for an easy 9-to-5-regular-paycheque-paid-vacations-and-benefits job then “photographer” might be the wrong search term.
Instead of searching for “photography companies hiring photographers”, perhaps it might be better to search for reasons why companies might need photography. A photographer needs to first understand why and how a company might use photography.
You wouldn’t build a roadside diner in the middle of nowhere and then hope someone puts a road out front. Instead, you find a needy highway and then build your restaurant there.
It works only in one direction: first find a need and then you get a customer.
