photographer

American  

[fuh-tog-ruh-fer] / fəˈtɒg rə fər /

noun

• photographers
  plural

1. a person who takes photographs, especially one who practices photography professionally.

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photographer British  

/ fəˈtɒɡrəfə /

noun

1. a person who takes photographs, either as a hobby or a profession

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• photographers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of photographer

First recorded in 1840–50; photograph + -er ¹

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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

See Examples For:

photographer photographers

A photographer hit the road to see how people were faring.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Istanbul municipal teams and firefighters were carrying out cleanup operations at schools, football pitches, garages and other sites on Thursday, pumping water out of flooded areas and clearing mud, an AFP photographer reported.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Jamie Lafferty is a writer and photographer from Glasgow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

And when I emailed a wedding photographer whose Instagram feed seemed perfectly curated to how I envision our special day, he quoted me $30,000 for a starter package.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

The photographer, a retired Central Intelligence Agency agent named Howard Hunt, sat down to take notes.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

At around 15, he and his pal Neil Zlozower attended a concert and were struck by the photographers up front covering the show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

Gilbert said other photographers were increasingly seeing the same behaviour from parents.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Marafatsos entered the city’s MET Hotel through a separate entrance, away from photographers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Dr Konyak points to explorers, colonial officials, missionaries and photographers drawn to tattooed faces, ornaments, weapons and headhunting, while the lives behind them often receded from view.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

The whole time photographers were snapping away, and TV cameras were pointed at us, so we finally got it together and straightened up to pose for the winners’ picture.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

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