Free Senior-level photographer CV (2026)

Start with a clear header that includes your name, city of residence, telephone number, email address, and a link to your online portfolio or showreel. In the UK, you may also note your right-to-work status and eligibility to work in the UK.

Follow with a concise headline and a two-to-three sentence summary that highlights your speciality, years of experience, and leadership or client-outcome examples. Keep sections in this order: Work Experience, Selected Projects or Portfolio, Skills, Education and Qualifications, and Certifications so recruiters can locate key information quickly.

Your CV headline should be a brief phrase stating your role and specialism, e.g. Senior Commercial Photographer or Senior Editorial Photographer.

The professional summary should be two to three sentences that describe your level of experience, the types of clients or studios you lead, and one or two measurable outcomes such as increased bookings or successful campaigns. Use active language and mention core equipment or systems you manage when relevant, for example medium-format cameras, studio lighting, or on-set direction.

List roles in reverse chronological order and include organisation or client name, your job title, location (city), and dates in DD/MM/YYYY format. For each role, include two to four bullet-point lines summarising your responsibilities and achievements, focusing on leadership, project scale, and outcomes you influenced.

Emphasise management tasks such as directing assistant photographers, coordinating with art directors, managing budgets, or delivering multi-day shoots to demonstrate senior-level responsibilities.

Frame achievements using a context-action-result structure by stating the project scope, your role, and the outcome. Use concrete measures where possible, e.g. reducing shoot costs by a percentage, increasing client retention, or delivering a set number of final images per campaign.

If exact figures are confidential, describe relative impact such as scaling production from local to national campaigns or leading a team of assistants and stylists on recurring shoots. When relevant, mention impact on brand or healthcare communications, such as NHS campaigns.

Include a dedicated portfolio link near the top of your CV and a short Selected Projects section naming three to five representative campaigns or shoots that illustrate your range and outcomes. If you’re UK-based, tailor examples to reflect sectors you target (advertising, publishing, healthcare communications, education).

Consider including a short project brief or impact statement and any client testimonials if permitted.

List core competences and technical skills in bullet form, prioritising those most relevant to senior roles. Examples: on-site direction, studio management, liaising with art directors, budget planning, multi-location shoots, colour management, and post-production workflow (Lightroom, Capture One, Photoshop).

Mention familiarity with different capture formats (35mm, medium format), lighting setups (strobe, continuous, natural light), and asset delivery pipelines.

List qualifications in reverse chronological order. In the UK, reference GCSEs and A-levels or equivalents, then university degrees with institution and dates (DD/MM/YYYY).

If you studied at a UK university, mention subject, course highlights, and any UCAS points if appropriate. For Russell Group universities or notable photography-related degrees, emphasise relevant modules or projects.

Include photography-related certifications (e.g. Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom, Capture One), health and safety training for shoots, and memberships in professional bodies (e.g.

British Institute of Professional Photography - BIPP, Royal Photographic Society - RPS). State any current professional registrations and continuing professional development activities.