A medical photographer captures images that are related to medicine. He or she could work for a hospital, a research facility, an emergency response organization, a medical publishing company, or a clinic, photographing in a variety of settings ranging from the field to the microscope stage. Medical photographers typically have some college photography training, such as a photojournalism or arts degree, as well as some science experience, which allows them to understand the subjects they photograph.
A medical photographer may take photographs of patients in a hospital to track their progress, document study subjects, or keep on file in case of legal issues. Photographs of original wounds, progressing conditions such as rashes, and surgical procedures are examples of these images. Medical photographers can also work in pathology labs, photographing autopsies, patient specimen samples, and microscope specimens.
Photographs of electrophoresis gels or images of bacteria that have been successfully cultured from a patient are used medical labs to document their procedures and create records of various procedures. These images can be saved as part of a patient’s or study’s permanent record, and they can also be shared in trade journals and publications for medical professionals to share information.
Photographs taken medical photographers can be used in promotional brochures, patient education materials, and textbooks used medical and veterinary schools. These images can range from generic images of patients receiving treatment to detailed images of specific issues, such as documentation of the appearance of various types of fungal infections so that practitioners have a visual reference when treating patients.
Some medical photographers, also known as biomedical photographers, specialize in taking photographs for the purpose of creating legal records. In the event of a dispute, these photographs can be used to document the course of treatment and the conditions under which it took place, and patients can also hire photographers to document their conditions so that they can use the images in court. A patient who intends to sue a surgeon for improperly placing a bone pin might hire a medical photographer to document the damage caused the improper placement, as well as the surgery required to correct it.
A medical photographer’s pay varies depending on where he or she works and any specialties the photographer may have. Keeping up with advances in photography and science can help a medical photographer earn more money.