Popular Careers in Photography and Communications

There are many different ways to communicate, whether through words, pictures or sound. When you're looking for a career in communications and photography, you'll need to consider the kind of work you enjoy and what you're looking for in regards to pay. While there are many different careers in photography and communications, photojournalism, PR and online news tend to be the most popular. These careers use both photography and other levels of communication, although there are other good careers that use one or the other exclusively.

Photojournalism

Unlike typical journalists, photojournalists use their photographic background to cover a story. In this type of career, photojournalists often find themselves in tough situation in order to get a story. Photojournalists capture images of high stress, danger or emotion. Because of this, they and their photographs are held in high esteem. Photojournalism is used as a way to communicate news and ideas through pictures rather than words. Average hourly pay for a photojournalist is $15. This varies greatly based on the media outlet as well as skill and exposure.

Public Relations Specialist

People who work in public relations use both photography and their communication skills to push public awareness for a product, company or person. They are in charge of the advertising for their clients. For instance, a PR specialist could launch a campaign for a sports shoe client by contacting magazines and providing written information about the product. They would also send product photos and other promotional information to help raise awareness for the product. Public relations specialists usually work for advertising agencies and make $50,000 per year on average.

Online News Correspondents

Utilizing the ongoing popularity of the internet as a news medium, online news correspondents present the latest news to readers. There are hundreds of websites that use news blurbs and photos to keep people informed, including print newspapers' websites. Correspondents these websites gather relevant news as well as related pictures to create the story. This story would then be featured on the website. Pay for online news correspondents vary based on the popularity of the website as well as whether you are an employee or a freelancer. Expect to make 10 cents to 1 dollar per word for your stories.