Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Photography Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

Are you a visual storyteller with a passion for creating stunning, brand-aligned imagery? We are searching for a dynamic and talented Photography Specialist to join our creative team. In this role, you will be the driving force behind our visual identity, responsible for producing exceptional product and lifestyle photography for e-commerce, social media, and marketing campaigns. The ideal candidate is a master of both the technical and artistic aspects of photography, possessing a keen eye for detail, expert knowledge of studio lighting, and advanced skills in post-production. You'll collaborate with a team of passionate creatives and marketers to translate concepts into compelling visual narratives that captivate our audience and define our brand. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are excited by the challenge of setting the visual standard for a growing brand, we want to see your portfolio.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Photographer / Associate Photographer
Photography Assistant
Freelance Photographer
Retoucher

Advancement To:

Senior Photography Specialist / Lead Photographer
Art Director
or- Studio Manager
Creative Content Manager

Lateral Moves:

Videographer / Cinematographer
Digital Asset Manager
Content Creator / Social Media Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Execute high-quality digital photography for a diverse range of products, including e-commerce, marketing, and social media content, ensuring all assets align with established brand guidelines.
Manage all aspects of photoshoots from concept to completion, including pre-production planning, location scouting, prop styling, set-building, and teardown.
Operate, maintain, and demonstrate expertise with a wide array of professional photography equipment, including DSLR/mirrorless cameras, lenses, studio lighting (strobes, continuous lights), and grip equipment.
Perform advanced post-production work, including high-end retouching, color correction, compositing, and image manipulation in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to meet exacting quality standards.
Collaborate closely with creative directors, art directors, marketers, and product managers to understand project goals and translate creative briefs into compelling visual assets.
Organize, keyword, and maintain our comprehensive Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, ensuring all final imagery is easily searchable, properly archived, and distributed.
Develop, refine, and uphold consistent photographic standards and style guides to ensure brand cohesiveness across all visual channels and platforms.
Skillfully style products and build creative sets for both tabletop and lifestyle photoshoots, demonstrating a strong eye for composition, texture, detail, and visual narrative.
Capture engaging lifestyle photography both in-studio and on-location, directing models and working with stylists to create authentic and brand-centric scenes.
Conduct rigorous quality assurance checks on all final images to ensure they are free of imperfections and perfectly optimized for their intended platform (web, print, social).
Manage multiple, often concurrent, photography projects, effectively prioritizing tasks and managing timelines to meet demanding deadlines without compromising quality.
Develop efficient workflow processes for the entire photography lifecycle, from image capture and tethering with Capture One to final asset delivery and archiving.
Prepare images for various outputs, demonstrating a deep understanding of the nuances of different color spaces (sRGB, Adobe RGB, CMYK) and file formats.
Create specialized imagery such as 360-degree product spins and complex composite images to provide customers with a comprehensive and interactive view of products.

Secondary Functions

Mentor and provide guidance to junior photographers, interns, or photography assistants, fostering a collaborative and skills-focused team environment.
Continuously research and present findings on emerging photography trends, new software, innovative techniques, and competitor visual strategies to inform our creative direction.
Assist in the creation of short-form video content for social media and product pages, including shooting, basic editing, and color grading.
Work with cross-functional partners to ensure product samples are received, prepped, meticulously tracked, and returned in an organized and timely manner.
Participate actively in creative team meetings and brainstorming sessions, contributing innovative ideas for future campaigns and content strategy.
Maintain the photography studio and all associated equipment, managing inventory, ordering supplies, and coordinating necessary repairs or upgrades to ensure operational readiness.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical challenges related to lighting, color accuracy, software, and digital workflow in a fast-paced studio environment.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop (advanced retouching, compositing), Lightroom, and Bridge.
Mastery of professional DSLR and mirrorless camera systems (e.g., Canon, Sony, Nikon), including manual settings, lens selection, and sensor technology.
Advanced, demonstrable knowledge of studio and location lighting techniques, including the use of strobes, continuous lights, modifiers, reflectors, and grip equipment to shape light.
High proficiency in tethered shooting workflows using industry-standard software such as Capture One or Lightroom Tethered Capture.
Proven experience with Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems for organizing, keywording, and archiving large volumes of high-resolution images.
Strong understanding of color theory, color management principles, and creating custom color profiles to ensure brand consistency across all media.
Experience in video capture and basic editing/color grading using software such as Adobe Premiere Pro is highly desirable.

Soft Skills

Exceptional creativity and a sophisticated artistic eye for composition, styling, and visual storytelling.
Meticulous attention to detail, with an unwavering commitment to delivering the highest quality and consistency in all finished assets.
Excellent time management and organizational abilities, with a proven capacity to juggle multiple projects and tight deadlines in a dynamic environment.
Strong collaborative and interpersonal communication skills, enabling effective partnership with creative teams, marketers, and other key stakeholders.
A proactive and resourceful problem-solver, capable of quickly overcoming technical and creative challenges that arise during production.
Adaptability and flexibility to pivot between different project types, styles, and creative demands while maintaining a positive, can-do attitude.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

A strong, professional-level portfolio demonstrating a high degree of technical skill and creative vision is required. An Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Photography
Fine Arts / Visual Arts
Commercial Art
Communication Design

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-5+ years of professional experience as a photographer, with a significant portion of that time in a commercial, e-commerce, or in-house brand studio environment.

Preferred:

A portfolio that showcases a strong understanding of product photography on seamless backgrounds, as well as styled and lifestyle photography.
Verifiable experience working within a fast-paced, deadline-driven creative team.
Experience shooting for both digital and print applications.