Photographer to digital artist
A photographer already meets 15% of what the digital artist role asks for. The move turns on 20 required skills not yet in the profile.
85.1/ 100
1 How much of what a digital artist is expected to do is already part of a photographer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the digital artist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A digital artist role treats 3 of its required skills as things a photographer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- computer graphics
- create digital images
- develop an artistic framework
What stands in the way is 20 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A digital artist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a photographer background worth leading with.
- already held prepare digital art for master photograph working with computers
- already held design greeting cards communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held create digital images communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held computer graphics information and communication technologies (icts)
- already held develop an artistic framework communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held develop artistic project budgets information skills
All 7 carried skills, including the 3 the digital artist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 34 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn convert into animated object required
- still to learn create pen-and-paper images required
- still to learn define artistic approach required
- still to learn define creative components required
- still to learn develop animations required
- still to learn develop design concept required
- still to learn discuss artwork required
- optional, not held assess each stage of the creative process optional
- optional, not held operate 3D computer graphics software optional
- optional, not held participate in artistic mediation activities optional
- optional, not held present exhibition optional
- optional, not held provide input to collaborators to guide their work optional
- optional, not held design materials for multimedia campaigns optional
- optional, not held develop educational resources optional
- still to learn digital communication and collaboration required
- still to learn digital content creation required
- still to learn develop digital content required
- still to learn have computer literacy required
- still to learn use specialised design software required
- still to learn contextualise artistic work required
- still to learn gather reference materials for artwork required
- still to learn monitor developments in technology used for design required
- optional, not held assess conservation needs optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
- still to learn digital arts required
- still to learn art history required
- still to learn digital media required
- still to learn intellectual property law required
- still to learn labour legislation required
- optional, not held adobe creative suite optional
- optional, not held web based collaborative platforms optional
- optional, not held augmented reality optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a digital artist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 7 skills that carry over
- already held computer graphics knowledge
- already held create digital images skill
- already held develop an artistic framework skill
- already held design greeting cards skill
- already held develop artistic educational activities skill
- already held develop artistic project budgets skill
- already held prepare digital art for master photograph skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held receive appropriate permissions for use of recorded audiovisual examples optional
- optional, not held plan art educational activities optional
14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held adobe creative suite optional
- optional, not held assess conservation needs optional
- optional, not held assess each stage of the creative process optional
- optional, not held operate 3D computer graphics software optional
- optional, not held participate in artistic mediation activities optional
- optional, not held plan art educational activities optional
- optional, not held present exhibition optional
- optional, not held provide input to collaborators to guide their work optional
- optional, not held receive appropriate permissions for use of recorded audiovisual examples optional
- optional, not held web based collaborative platforms optional
- optional, not held augmented reality optional
- optional, not held design materials for multimedia campaigns optional
- optional, not held develop educational resources optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
46 held skills the digital artist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advertising techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise customers on photography skill
- not needed by the target role architectural design knowledge
- not needed by the target role art collections knowledge
- not needed by the target role brand marketing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role care for food aesthetic skill
- not needed by the target role collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions skill
- not needed by the target role communicate with youth skill
- not needed by the target role conduct extensive international travel skill
- not needed by the target role create artificial light skill
- not needed by the target role create infrared imagery skill
- not needed by the target role design an artificial lighting system skill
- not needed by the target role determine image composition skill
- not needed by the target role develop film skill
- not needed by the target role develop visual elements skill
- not needed by the target role digital marketing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role direct photographic workers skill
- not needed by the target role edit negatives skill
- not needed by the target role edit photographs skill
- not needed by the target role handle artworks skill
- not needed by the target role home decoration techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role landscape architecture knowledge
- not needed by the target role license photo usage skill
- not needed by the target role load film skill
- not needed by the target role maintain photographic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role measure light levels skill
- not needed by the target role mount photos skill
- not needed by the target role operate a camera skill
- not needed by the target role organise product display skill
- not needed by the target role prepare personal work environment skill
- not needed by the target role represent company in exhibitions skill
- not needed by the target role research new photographic procedures skill
- not needed by the target role scan photos skill
- not needed by the target role select auxiliary equipment for photographic work skill
- not needed by the target role select camera apertures skill
- not needed by the target role select photographic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role select photos skill
- not needed by the target role set up cameras skill
- not needed by the target role set up photographic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role set up photographic exhibitions skill
6 further entries not listed here
8 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn digital arts required
- still to learn art history required
- still to learn digital media required
- still to learn intellectual property law required
- still to learn labour legislation required
- optional, not held adobe creative suite optional
- optional, not held web based collaborative platforms optional
- optional, not held augmented reality optional
Common questions about this move
Can a photographer become a digital artist?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A photographer already covers 15% of what a digital artist is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 3 of which the digital artist role treats as required.
What skills does a photographer need to become a digital artist?
20 required skills are missing, plus 14 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is digital arts.
How hard is the move from photographer to digital artist?
Its learning distance is 85.1 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.