Photographer / Videographer resume

Name your specialism, the kind of clients you work for and what you deliver, in two or three lines. Creative employers look at your portfolio, but the summary decides whether they open it.

Include:

• Specialism: weddings and events, commercial and product, real estate, fashion, food, corporate video, documentary, social media content.
• Clients or employers: agencies, brands, media outlets, hotels, in-house marketing teams.
• What you handle: shooting, lighting, editing, colour grading, drone, motion graphics.

Example (fictional): "Commercial photographer and videographer with six years creating product, food and hospitality content for brands and agencies in Dubai. Handles concept, shooting, lighting and post-production, delivering campaigns for web, social and print."

Example (fictional): "In-house video producer for a retail group, planning and editing around 15 short social videos a month."

Put a short portfolio link in your contact details and, if useful, link specific projects in your experience section. Hiring managers expect to click through to your work.

Tips:

• Use a clean, short link to your website, Behance, Vimeo or YouTube channel.
• Make sure the portfolio is up to date and loads quickly on phones.
• Show work that matches the job, e.g. product shots for e-commerce roles.
• Check that you have permission to show client work.

Your resume should stay text-based so applicant tracking systems and readers can scan it; let the portfolio carry the images. ResumeBuilder.ae PDFs do not include photos, so a portfolio link is the right place for your visual work.

List technical, creative and business skills, grouped clearly.

Common groups:

• Shooting: studio and natural lighting, composition, product, portrait, event, architectural, drone.
• Equipment: camera systems you use, lenses, lighting, gimbals, audio gear.
• Post-production: Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One, retouching, colour correction.
• Video (if relevant): Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, After Effects, colour grading, sound.
• Business: client briefs, shot lists, budgets, licensing and usage terms, delivery deadlines.

Show the key skills in bullets too, e.g. (fictional): "Lit and shot 300 product images a week for an e-commerce catalogue."

Strong bullets show the type and number of events, deliverables, turnaround and client results.

Examples (fictional):

• "Photographed around 40 corporate events and weddings a year, from small receptions to 1,000-guest conferences."
• "Delivered edited galleries within 72 hours for corporate clients."
• "Built a repeat client base of 12 event agencies through referrals."
• "Coordinated with event planners on shot lists and run-of-show timing."
• "Managed backups on site to protect client files."

Describe clients by type unless they agree to be named.

Show the types of videos, their purpose, your role in the process and the results.

Examples (fictional):

• "Produced, shot and edited 60 short videos a year for the company's social channels and website."
• "Planned shoots from brief to storyboard, coordinating talent, locations and equipment."
• "Edited interview-led brand films and added motion graphics in After Effects."
• "Cut 30-second ad versions for paid social campaigns."

If you have view or engagement figures and are allowed to share them, add them in simple numbers.

Show reach, client outcomes, volume, deadlines and recognition, using simple numbers you can explain.

Ideas:

• Number of shoots or videos delivered.
• Engagement or view counts where you are allowed to share them.
• Sales or bookings linked to your content, if the client shared the result.
• Awards, exhibitions or published work.

Example (fictional): "Reshot product catalogue images for an online store; the client reported fewer product returns linked to colour mismatch."

Example (fictional): "Brand video for a hotel opening reached over 200,000 views on social channels."

Use your business or trading name, "Freelance" and your dates, then bullets that show client types, volumes and specialisms.

Example (fictional):
"Freelance Photographer and Videographer, Fictional Lens Studio, 2019 to present"

• "Serve hospitality, real estate and corporate clients across the UAE."
• "Deliver around 120 shoots a year, from planning to final edit."
• "Manage quotes, contracts, usage licences and invoicing."

If you also had employed roles, list them in date order with the freelance work.

Adverts often list content types, tools and production skills. Use the ones that match your work.

Typical keywords:

• Photography, videography, content creation, visual storytelling
• Product, e-commerce, lifestyle, event, real estate, corporate
• Lighting, composition, retouching, colour grading
• Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro
• Pre-production, storyboarding, shot lists, post-production
• Drone, motion graphics, social media video, reels

The job-description comparison in the builder can highlight which advert terms are missing.

List it briefly, in one line, if the job cares about equipment or you bring your own kit. Do not let gear take space from results.

Example (fictional): "Equipment: full-frame mirrorless camera system, prime and zoom lenses, studio strobes, gimbal, wireless audio, licensed drone."

For in-house jobs where the employer provides equipment, list the systems you are comfortable with instead of what you own.

List drone work as a skill and in bullets, and include any drone licence or registration you hold, in the form the authority requires.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Captured aerial video and stills for real estate developments and hotel launches."
• "Planned flights with site managers and followed permission and safety procedures."

Example certification (fictional): "Drone Operator Certificate, Fictional Civil Aviation Authority, 2024."

Drone rules differ by country, so check with the official aviation authority before describing permits. Do not claim permissions you do not hold.

A clear order for creative roles:

• Contact details with portfolio link
• Summary
• Selected clients or projects (optional)
• Experience
• Skills and software
• Equipment (optional)
• Education and courses
• Awards, exhibitions or publications

Keep it to one or two pages. The portfolio shows quality; the resume shows reliability, scope and skills.

A clean layout with good typography is usually the best choice, even for creative roles. Your portfolio is the place for visual flair; the resume should be easy to read and scan.

Points to consider:

• Online applications often go through applicant tracking systems that read simple layouts more reliably.
• A single-column template with clear headings works well.
• If you hand a resume to a creative director directly, a more designed version can work, but keep text readable.

Avoid placing key information inside images or graphics.

The most common is relying only on the portfolio and writing a resume with no detail.

Watch for:

• No portfolio link, or a broken one.
• Bullets like "took photos" with no type, client or volume.
• Long gear lists instead of results.
• Client work shown without permission.
• No sign of business skills like deadlines, budgets or usage rights.
• Graphics-heavy layouts that hide text.

Fix these and your resume will support your portfolio rather than compete with it.

Show property types, volume, turnaround and extra services such as floor plans, video tours or drone shots.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Photographed around 25 residential and commercial properties a week for estate agencies."
• "Delivered edited images within 24 hours, including HDR and twilight shots."
• "Produced video walkthroughs and aerial footage for premium listings."

Mention the software you use for HDR or virtual tours.

List publications, outlets, stories and recognition, with dates. Editorial employers look for storytelling and reliability under deadlines.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Covered regional news and features for a daily newspaper, filing photos to tight deadlines."
• "Produced a 20-minute documentary on coastal fishing communities, screened at two film festivals."
• "Work published by national and international outlets."

Add a Publications or Screenings section with titles and years.

Highlight content strategy, campaign results, social media skills and collaboration with marketing teams. Many visual creators move into content creation, social media, brand or creative production roles.

Example summary (fictional): "Photographer and videographer with five years creating brand content, moving into a content marketing role with experience planning shoots around campaign goals and reporting engagement."

Example bullet (fictional): "Planned a monthly content calendar with the marketing team and produced all visual assets."

Add marketing courses or certifications if you have them.

Name the software, the types of edits and the delivery formats, and show volume or results.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Edited long-form interviews into 60-second social clips in Premiere Pro."
• "Colour graded commercial footage in DaVinci Resolve to match brand guidelines."
• "Mixed audio and added captions for accessibility on all social videos."
• "Delivered files in multiple aspect ratios for web, social and broadcast."

These show you can finish a project, not just shoot it.

Show volume, consistency, lighting set-ups and how images met platform requirements.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Shot and retouched around 200 product images a day for an online fashion retailer."
• "Created lighting and styling guides so images stayed consistent across seasons."
• "Prepared images to marketplace specifications for size, background and file naming."

Consistency and speed are the main things e-commerce employers want to see.

Yes. Awards, exhibitions and publications show peer recognition. List them in a separate section with the name, organiser and year.

Example (fictional):

• "Finalist, Fictional Photography Awards, Architecture category, 2024"
• "Group exhibition, Fictional Gallery, 2023"

List the most relevant and recent first. Small online contests can be left out if space is tight.

Lead with your portfolio, training and any shoots you have done for friends, clubs, events or college. Assisting other photographers is valuable experience too.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Photographed 10 university events for the student union's social media."
• "Assisted a wedding photographer on 8 weddings, managing lighting and backups."
• "Completed a photography and editing course, 2025."

Keep the resume to one page and make your portfolio the centrepiece.

Show the number of weddings, the services offered, client feedback and how you run the business.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Photographed around 30 weddings a year, including multi-day celebrations."
• "Offered photo and video packages with albums and highlight films."
• "Managed bookings, contracts and client consultations."
• "Received consistently positive client reviews and referrals."

If you apply for employed roles, highlight planning, teamwork with planners and editing output.

Mention it in bullets that describe how you handled contracts, model releases and usage terms with clients. Keep it practical rather than legal.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Agreed image usage terms and durations with clients in written quotes."
• "Collected model and property releases for commercial shoots."
• "Organised licensing for music used in brand videos."

This shows professionalism. Check legal points with a qualified adviser rather than stating them on your resume.

Show the volume, channels and teamwork with marketing, plus results where allowed.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Created photos, reels and short videos for 4 social channels, around 20 pieces a week."
• "Worked with the marketing team on campaign concepts and shoot plans."
• "Managed the company's content library and file naming."

Mention any short-form video formats and platforms you specialise in.

Emphasise creative direction, team leadership, budgets and big campaigns, not just your own shoots.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Led a team of 3 photographers and 2 editors for a regional retail group."
• "Directed seasonal campaigns from concept to delivery across print and digital."
• "Managed production budgets and freelance crews."
• "Set visual style guides used by agencies and internal teams."

Keep junior roles short.

Show the events, set-ups and your role in the production team.

Example bullets (fictional):

• "Operated cameras and switching for live-streamed conferences with 3 to 4 camera set-ups."
• "Set up streaming encoders and audio feeds and monitored streams during events."
• "Edited highlight videos the same day for social media."

Mention the equipment or software you know, such as vision mixers or streaming tools.