As a photographer who has been running my own business for quite sometime there are days where I have a dream to land an elusive full time position as a photographer. The perks I get to continue to do something I love and have spent years developing a skillset for without the financial instability. The downside though is a lot of companies and people think photography and videography are the same thing.

I have noticed when pursuing job ads on positions that videographer and photographer became synonymous however a more apt term for a position requiring both skills should be multi-media. I personally would advocate for hiring skilled professional in each area however because it takes many years and much different equipment and editing chops to achieve certain results.

Inherently the differences between a photographer and videographer come down to vision. A photographer sees a photograph but a videographer sees the entire scene. Both professionals have to train their eye and learn their equipment in such a way that they can make the results needed sometimes in a fraction of a second.

In addition the equipment used by each professional is different and functions differently. Plus the editing programs they need are vastly different and perform different functions. The money involved to gain equipment paired with the years of experience and learning to use it makes these professions different.

While it is possible to be a professional in one there is the argument to be made that you will merely only be proficient in the other. The one your true interest and passion lies with you will continue to build your skill and the other you will use as necessary.

I have tried to add video to my skill bank but the truth is I put all my energy into creating still images. I do not see an image as a moving scene but rather as a split second in time. In addition, I have spent 13 years acquiring equipment, learning editing tools and growing as a photographer that the idea of doing the same thing to gain videography skills sounds incredibly exhausting.

So keep in mind when hiring that photographers and videographers are very different things.