A professional photographer may be an employee, for example of a newspaper, or may be contracted to photograph a specific planned event such as a wedding or graduation, or an advertisement. Others, such as fine art photographers, freelancers, first create an image and then license or make printed copies for sale or display. Some workers, such as crime scene photographers, estate agents, journalists and scientists, take photographs as part of other jobs. Photographers who create moving images rather than still images are often called cinematographers, videographers, or camera operators, depending on the commercial context.

The term professional can also refer to preparation, for example, by academic study or apprenticeship by a photographer to acquire photographic skills. A characteristic of a professional is that they often invest in continuing education through associations. While there is no mandatory registration requirement for professional photographer status, most cities and counties require a business license to operate a business. Likewise, most venues require commercial insurance when photographing weddings or public events. Photographers who operate a legitimate business can provide these items.

Photographers can be classified based on the subjects they photograph.