12 Freelance Photographer Resume Examples for 2025

Creating a good resume for a freelance photographer can make job hunting easier. This article will share proven examples and tips. Learn how to highlight skills, showcase a portfolio, and use industry-specific terms to get noticed. Keep your resume strong and focused to stand out in a crowded field.

  Compiled and approved by Diana Price
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At a Glance

Here's what we see in successful freelance photographer resumes.

  • Show Impact With Numbers: You should use numbers to show your impact. Some metrics include photos delivered per week, client satisfaction rate, projects completed on time, increase in client base.

  • Include Relevant Skills From The Job Description: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, photo editing, portrait photography, lighting techniques. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Highlight A Specialized Portfolio: You should include a portfolio link that shows your specialty. Sample phrase: link to product shots.

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Decide on the placement

When you prepare your resume, think about what stands out most for you as a freelance photographer. If your education in photography or a related field is recent and strong, place it near the top. This shows employers your commitment to mastering the craft. Employers often look for specialized skills or education in the visuals arts field.

If your work history is more impressive and tells a better story of your experience, lead with that. As a freelance photographer, highlight the variety of projects and clients you have worked with. If you have a degree, certifications, or significant coursework in photography, visual arts, or media, mention them after your work experience to add credibility.

The key is to present your information in a way that quickly shows why you are a good fit for the job. Use simple language and be direct. Remember to also include any workshops or continued learning experiences that have specifically enhanced your photography skills.

Showcase your portfolio prominently

Unlike other fields, your portfolio is your strongest asset in photography. Include a link to your online portfolio at the top of your resume. Mention highlights of significant projects or clients you have worked with.

Briefly describe the style and types of photography you specialize in, such as portrait, landscape, or commercial photography, to give potential employers a clear idea of your expertise.

Ideal resume length

For freelance photographers, your resume should be concise and impactful. You aim to fit your most relevant work onto one page. This helps you highlight your best assignments and photography skills. If you have more than 10 years of experience, you can use two pages. Ensure each page shows your strong points and skills clearly.

Your resume should be easy to read. Use a layout that allows for more space and clear section headings. Prioritize your latest, most relevant work. Details from older jobs can be shorter. This helps you keep to the ideal page count while making sure the important information is easy to find. Remember, hiring managers may only look at the first page for a short time. Use it to show your strongest qualifications and photography examples.

Detail your technical skills

Photography is a technical field. List the camera equipment, software, and other tools you are proficient with. Break these into categories like cameras, lenses, and editing software.

Mention any advanced skills relevant to the industry, such as photo retouching, lighting, or even video production if applicable. This shows your versatility and technical knowledge.

Bypassing resume screeners

When applying for jobs, your resume might first be read by a machine, not a person. These are known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). To get your resume seen by a human, you need to pass the ATS.

Here are some tips:

  • Include keywords from the job posting. For a freelance photographer, use words like 'photography,' 'editing,' and 'portfolio.'
  • Format your resume simply. Use clear headings and avoid tables or images that the ATS can't read.

Customize for the job

To get noticed, show you know what the job needs. Think about the skills and the work you've done that speak directly to the freelance photographer role. Highlight the right parts of your past work to show you're a good choice. Try to be as clear as possible.

  • Show your ability to capture a variety of subjects by specifying, for example, 'captured 500+ events ranging from weddings to corporate functions'.
  • Mention specific photography software you're good at like 'proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom' to show your technical skills.
  • If you're moving from another career, link your past work to photography. For example, if you were in marketing, write about how you 'used photo content to increase social media engagement by 30%'.

Ignoring portfolio links and credits

When you're putting together your resume as a freelance photographer, a common mistake is not including links to your online portfolio or giving credit to past projects. Here's how to fix that:

  • Show your best work by adding a link to your online portfolio. Make sure the link is easy to find and works well.
  • List any significant projects you've worked on and mention any partners or publications your work has appeared in. This helps show your experience and credibility.

Remember, your resume helps you stand out, but your portfolio shows what you can do. Make it simple for hiring managers to see your skills.

Choose strong action verbs

As a hiring manager, I know that the verbs you use on your resume matter. They can help you stand out. When you describe your past work as a freelance photographer, use verbs that show your skills in action. Think about what you did and how it helped your clients.

Here's a list of action verbs that can make your resume stronger. These verbs are good for showing your skills in capturing images, working with clients, and managing your freelance business.

  • To show your ability in taking pictures, use captured, photographed, framed, composed, snapped.
  • To highlight your editing skills, include verbs like edited, retouched, enhanced, cropped, adjusted.
  • If you want to show your skill in managing projects, use coordinated, scheduled, planned, organized, executed.
  • To demonstrate your client interaction, verbs like consulted, communicated, negotiated, networked, collaborated are effective.
  • For those who have worked on a diverse range of assignments, verbs such as specialized, diversified, tailored, branched out, expanded can show your flexibility.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Achieved, Drive, Facilitate, Designed, Improve.

Showcase achievements, not tasks

You might be tempted to list your daily tasks as a freelance photographer on your resume. It's important to shift the focus to what you have accomplished instead. Employers want to see the results of your work, not just what you were responsible for.

Here's how you can turn responsibilities into achievements:

  • Instead of writing 'Took photos at various events,' you could show an accomplishment by saying 'Captured over 30 high-profile social events, resulting in 15+ clients repeatedly booking for annual functions.'
  • Rather than stating 'Edited photos for clients,' a more impactful sentence would be 'Enhanced client satisfaction by delivering expert photo editing, with a 95% approval rating on first reviews.'

Essential skills for photography jobs

As you build your resume, focus on the skills that show your ability to capture and edit high-quality images. Below is a list of important technical skills you should consider. Not all may apply to you, but include those that do, and are relevant to the jobs you're targeting.

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Lightroom
  • Digital SLR cameras
  • Photo editing
  • Lighting techniques
  • Color correction
  • File format knowledge
  • Lens selection
  • Image composition
  • Visual storytelling

Include these skills in a dedicated section for easy scanning. Many hiring managers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes. These systems look for keywords that match the job description. By including these skills, you ensure your resume passes through these filters and reaches a human reader. Remember, you don't need to list every skill you see here. Choose those that best match your expertise and the job you want.

For example, if you specialize in event photography, highlight your lighting techniques and visual storytelling. If you're into product photography, emphasize your color correction and file format knowledge. Tailor your skills to the job and you'll stand out to hiring managers.

Highlighting leadership in photography

When you're putting together your resume as a freelance photographer, it's important to show any leadership roles you've had. This could be the difference in landing your next gig.

Think about times when you've led a project or directed a shoot. Even if you haven't had a formal title, you might have organized a group of creatives or managed a photography event. Here are some ways you can show this experience:

  • Managed a team of second shooters for a large wedding, ensuring quality and consistency in all photographs.
  • Directed a multi-day fashion shoot, coordinating with stylists, models, and designers to achieve the desired artistic vision.

Remember to include any promotions you've received. If you started as an assistant and moved up to lead photographer, make sure this progress is clear on your resume. Use phrases that show growth like 'promoted to lead photographer due to strong project management and creative direction skills.'

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