photographer
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of photographer
First recorded in 1840–50; photograph + -er 1
Explanation
Do you frequently take pictures with a camera? Then you're a photographer. It's especially common to call someone a photographer if they do this as a paid job. Soon after photography was invented in the 19th century, people who were passionate about this new art form came along — the first photographers. In the 1840s, they were also known as photographists. The process of making photographs has become less complicated over the years, but photographers remain just as enthusiastic about it. Whether you take photos as a hobby or hang your shingle as a professional, go right ahead and call yourself a photographer.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I used to be a fashion photographer for 10 years. I’ve done tons of retouching,” he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
"And it turned out I was just a beach photographer on that day."
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The wedding photographer had just walked out of his studio at Highlands Farm, near Rettendon, Essex, when a fire caused a huge explosion at the industrial estate.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
A photographer and fixture in the L.A. punk scene by 14, the fact that she didn’t play an instrument was a minor hurdle when she joined L7 in 1986.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Soon after the chimps had begun to visit my camp, the National Geographic Society, which was giving Louis money for my research, sent a photographer to Gombe to make a film.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
Metres away, other photographers yelled instructions to ornately dressed young women who held their fingers in victory signs and arched their backs for the camera.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Competition is fierce for professional photographers at Beijing's tourist hotspots, including a scenic lake where women in flowy traditional robes pose for snaps to share on Xiaohongshu, China's massively popular lifestyle app.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
“The couple and the guests wrestled their way through the streets against photographers and tourists from the church to the mayor’s office—hand-to-hand combat.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
The pumps are blowing air in the water to kill the algae with oxygen; the only ducks I saw were lined up at the edge, refusing to jump in even when approached by photographers.
From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2026
He played with the bit and wagged an ear at the photographers who stood by the rail, snapping his picture for the morning papers.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
