Non Traditional Photography Jobs

[CameraDan]

I'm curious if anyone out there has a non-traditional photography job. What I mean by that is a job not as a studio photographer, event (wedding, etc) photographer, photo-journalist, etc. I work in the defense industring doing simulation, GIS and 3D visualization work, and recently came across a job which was actually a GIS (Geographic Information System) analyst position that was looking for someone who had both GIS experience along with photography to do panoramic photography of military training sites around the country.

It got me wondering what other type of non-traditional photography jobs people might have out there, and how they got involved in them.

[elauderdale]

I work for an Energy Company in California that has an actual photographer position that takes photos of disassembled auto engines. What occurs is this: We make engine oil that is in the experimental stage and they run it through actual car engines that sit on engine stands. They run them for a certain number of hours and then take them apart to look at the pistons, valves, etc. The photographer then takes pictures of the parts so they can look at the wear and tear on the part. That is his sole job. He basically has a studio set up so he can take photos of all these parts. On occasion he'll be called upon to take team photos of the employees and events. Sweet gig.

[Tagalong]

I work as the medical photographer for a state university. I mainly do photographs for publicity. The types of photos needed are broad; from ads on billboards, to magazine and/or medical journals. I also take several portraits and group photos a year and patient and OR images. Love the variety of work.

[CameraDan]

Thanks for sharing guys. I guess in both cases these jobs sound like they're pretty rare\hard to come by.

Any suggestions for finding gigs like this?

[Jim Bryant]

Network, express an interest and build up a portfolio of pictures in your desired field of interest.

[CameraDan]

Jim,
On the topic of portfolios, what do you think is the most effective way to do a portfolio? Printed, website, photobook? Obviously having a website portfolio has the advantage of being easy to distribute to a large audience, but I'm wondering if there is an expectation to have a printed version to send\share with interested parties.

[SeaChelle]

I just wanted to comment because I'm a fellow GIS spe******t for the federal government. Pretty cool that you found a job that combines photography and GIS. Are you applying?

As far as photography... I am an amateur equine photographer and aspiring professional.

[CameraDan]

SeaChelle,
I did apply for the job. No word yet.

Funny that you mention horses. My wife rides, trains, and competes in 3-day eventing for a living. Here is our farm's website.

Do you photograph sporting events or just horses in general?

Danny

[SeaChelle]

What a beautiful farm you have! That old barn is stunning. I bet you have some wonderful subjects to photograph. I ride and show Arabians and Saddlebreds mostly. Right now, I'm just focusing on learning and practicing by taking equine specific photography courses and working with other photographers, but in the future I hope to do mostly farm/stallion shoots with possibly a few events. I enjoy GIS, but I really need a job that gets me out of the office once in a while and around horses

Good luck on the position! It sounds like it would be a blast.

[CameraDan]

I totally agree about needing a job that gets you out of the office. I like what I do, but I HATE being inside all day.