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Other professions... technical, laboratory and clerical on the sidelines of photography -2-

After we reviewed some of the professions that a photographer can work in, we review here other professions on the sidelines of photography, which can be worked in away from taking pictures, and within other laboratory, journalistic and administrative fields... This is in addition to some professions that include more than one facility.

You know very well that the photographer is often satisfied with the task of taking the picture, and therefore he always relies on another person who contributes with him to achieving the comprehensive professional result. About the stage of photography itself, and the income of those working in these creative fields may be greater than the income of the photographer. If some of these works supporting the profession of the photographer are not widespread with us, but there is no objection to stopping at them in order to be more aware of the professional aspects of photographic photography as a whole.

Color printers

If most photographers print their own black and white films, the matter does not apply to color films. Here, photographers resort to color printing specialists and workers in this field, or color printing technicians who are among the assistants to the photographer.
In some photographs, the results provided by the laboratories differ according to their size and technical fields, and according to the value and professional work, such as advertising work, for example. It is often necessary to add special artistic smears carried out by technicians in color laboratories, as well as for facial images of political figures or artistic stars and the like. These photos are enlarged and printed on posters
It often requires technical operations such as solarization and color gradient separation, and these operations are usually carried out in consultation with the customer directly and in cooperation between the photographer and the technician who works in the color laboratory - even before taking the picture.
It is worth noting that the workers in the color laboratories are few, as a small number of students in the photography institutes tend towards this profession, as everyone, as noted, wants to be a photographer in the first place, and the technician will not be able to be creative in his work unless he is enthusiastic about his orientation and proud of it, and often gradually. These, from a technical assistant or even just a messenger in a laboratory, then turn to color film development - this process now depends on mechanization - and finally move to color printing and copying and begin to include all specialized fields. .

There are a few scientifically qualified technicians who work in the largest professional laboratories.

Color frills

Among the other tasks within the craft laboratories is relying on a touch-up worker whose task is to adjust the local color balance or clean the backgrounds and perform some emergency operations and sometimes correct some mistakes that the photographer has made. Here, the retouch worker must have good visual ability in addition to high skill. We usually multiply the continuity of work, and based on this black and white frills. There is no need for him to work inside the laboratory, especially since he does not need complex machines and techniques, and from here he can receive work for his own account. within his house.

A specialized technician and a comprehensive one

A large number of workers in the printing and copying of works in black and white, still form the pillar
Spine for professional photography. Jobs here range from one typist in an industrial unit inside a workshop, or a studio for public activities, to one among dozens of workers in a professional commercial establishment, news agency, or newspaper. Naturally, the typist in the small studio must be multi-skilled, as he often has to collect and search for editions. Negatives runner. He also acts on behalf of the photographer in accomplishing his duties

All while the latter was away for doing filming outside the studio...
As for laboratories and commercial agencies, the large number of jobs and their multiplicity make the jobs more separate and allow the field of specialization in one facility.
There are some institutions that work in black and white and specialize in the field of giant enlargements for public or commercial exhibitions or for decoration works, and the worker in any of these fields may become a specialist and artist in his field.

Laboratory administration

Laboratory management often has a major role in the development and progress of laboratories, and the manager's success in managing a laboratory depends on the extent of his understanding with technicians and their working conditions. This is often achieved only with the presence of a manager who has previously worked in the technical field. Hence, the majority of laboratories rely on managers who were previously technicians, who have proven their competence in organizing the activities of the working body. These managers enjoy the respect of employees and customers alike, and they are often the ones who raise. their sleeves, to replace the workers and technicians with their own hands when the need arises... So this job requires people who have the ability to take responsibility.

specialized press

Photographic producers use technical writers to write texts for their publications, instructions for their products, specialized articles, etc.
This field needs people who have knowledge of photography sciences and techniques as well as writing talent....
And if we expand further, we can say that specialized photographic magazines often rely on people of this type... These people, in addition to their technical capabilities, need writing talent, so we find the editorial board of photographic magazines limited, as these magazines are based mainly on people who have already gained experience from As a result of working for photographic producers or magazines of another kind.
Thus, they will be able to provide photos along with the required photographic information

Reference can be made here to the magazine, Art of Photography, whose backbone is the photographers. Talented people in the field of writing were chosen to choose topics and supervise technical materials in them, and if these are not specialists in one field, then they are photographers, technicians, and writers so and so.

Writing books

What we have mentioned about technical journalists applies to those working in the field of authoring photographic books if they have a greater degree of writing capabilities, depending on the level of books they offer from elementary or advanced books. As for books directed to professionals, they take the form of educational texts and are adopted as technical or scientific references, and some of them are philosophical references. . It comes in the form of texts supported by pictures. We should not forget the books or volumes with a different orientation, which rely entirely on pictures with some comments under them, such as historical, geographical or social volumes, and some of them cover urgent events, such as the Lebanese war, for example, which was covered by several books of this kind.
It is known that most photographers dream of collecting their photos, or a group related to a subject, in a book of their own.

Photography professors

Work in this field includes organizing practical classes, discussions and theoretical lectures within the educational institutions that are interested in photography as a main subject for their students. There are some evening institutes for teaching photography.
As for the advantages that should be available to a professor of photography, they are comprehensive knowledge of the subject and interest in organizing his ideas in an orderly manner, and adopting patience to identify the energies of his students to develop them. It began to be implemented globally, to provide teachers with the fundamentals of education, and it is known that specialized references often require professors with university degrees in the field of specialization or a membership card in a photographic institution, in addition to long experience in the practice of photography.

Engineers and repairmen

Because of the need for skilled engineers to support the process of selling or repairing devices, major importers of cameras and sales establishments appoint mechanics to work in their workshops under industrial work conditions to use expensive tools and work on accurate testing devices under the supervision of specialists with extensive experience and knowledge. This work here needs careful attention. And to experience in the mechanical, optical and electronic fields.
As for experience in the field of photography, it may be of little importance here.
The major repair institutions work to train mechanics and provide courses for them. The same is the case with service engineers who are trained by the equipment manufacturers who will work for them, as they will remain there within the Corps of Engineers, or they will be sent to work with importers or concerned agencies.