Between 1996 and 2006, the number of people working as photographers in New Zealand increased by a third.

Number of photographers in New Zealand
(1996, 2001, 2006)

Census	Number of photographers
1996	1,353
2001	1,422
2006	1,773
Source:  Department of Labour, Jobs and Tertiary Education Indicator Tool.

Growth in number of photographers due to widespread availability of digital cameras

Growth in the number of photographers has been due to increased availability of digital equipment and associated technology, with more people than ever taking photos on digital cameras.

One downside to this increase has been that a number of people who are not necessarily trained photographers are claiming they are professional photographers. As a result, it is difficult for most photographers in New Zealand to maintain full-time work because competition is very high.

You can increase your chances of getting a job if:

• you have had training and experience
• you belong to a professional body such as the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography.

Having a wide range of skills using digital and manual cameras, excellent business and time management skills and a good knowledge of computer software packages like Photoshop will also increase your chances of making a full-time living in this profession.

Although most photographers working in New Zealand are freelancers with their own businesses, they can work for a number of employers including:

• photographic agencies
• news agencies
• newspaper and magazine publishers
• photographic processing retail shops
• tertiary institutions that require photography teachers.

Most photographers work in Auckland, where the main newspaper and magazine agencies are based.

However, freelance photographers can set themselves up anywhere in the New Zealand.

Advances in digital technology mean that the skill requirements of professional photographers have changed dramatically since 2006, and this trend is expected to continue. Requirements are changing for the following reasons:

• Traditional darkrooms are being replaced by computer systems, so a large part of photographers' manual work, such as film processing, has been cut out. However, they now spend a lot more time in post-production, retouching photographs using computers.
• A push towards use of multimedia – for example, video storytelling and creating images through digital means – is expected to affect photographers soon. These techniques are growing in popularity as magazines and newspapers increasingly move into publishing online.