photographer
Americannoun
-
photographers
plural
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:
An AFP photographer on Thursday saw that the diplomatic emblem and a plaque that adorned the consulate's facade had been removed.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Upstairs is the office and studio of his wife, photographer Eika Aoshima.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
At the time, none of them could have known the photograph would become an iconic image that has been viewed across the world and one of photographer Chris Steele-Perkins' most recognised works.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Our group — two reporters, a photographer and a video journalist — went through security and, camera rolling, wound our way through the maze of the midcentury building.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
"I want to have a job! I want to be a photographer and travel all over the world. I've already taken classes."
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
It found global fame after featuring in a scene of the 1991 film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, and was popular with photographers and artists.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
The loop, also known as the Mach Loop, is an attraction for aviation enthusiasts and photographers.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
As camera technology became more portable, Britain’s photographers also took to the fields.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Among the crowd is Micaiah Carter, who, at 31, has established himself as one of the most in-demand photographers of his generation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Apparently in an effort to mollify the inflamed press, he let photographers back into the barn.
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.
