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Mail Order Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:00am - 7pm Est
Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm Est. / Saturday & Sunday: Closed
NYC Retail Store Location: 15 West 36th Street Bet 5th & 6th ave.
Retail Hours: Mon- Thur 10am - 7pm / Friday 10-5pm / Sunday 10- 5pm / Saturday: Closed. 1-212-594-6565

NYC Photography


If you are considering a career in photography, 42nd Street Photo is the photo store for you. At our store you will find the best cameras and photo equipment at the lowest prices available anywhere. But what does it mean to be a professional photographer in New York City?

New York City photography professionals typically do the following:

  • Use traditional and online marketing and advertising services to attract clients
  • Consider how best to compose a subject
  • Use various photographic techniques and equipment
  • Capture subjects in commercial-quality photographs
  • Improve the subject’s appearance with natural or artificial light
  • Work with photo enhancement software
  • Create a digital portfolio, often on a website, to demonstrate work


Nowadays, most NYC photographers use digital cameras instead of the traditional silver-halide film cameras. Digital cameras are able to store images electronically, so the photographer can edit the image on a computer. Images can be kept on portable memory devices, such as compact disks, memory cards, and flash drives or even in the “cloud”.

Once the original raw image has been transferred to a computer, photo processing software are used by photographers to crop or modify the image and enrich the original image through color correction and other specialized effects. New York photographers who edit their own pictures use computers, high-quality printers made especially for photo printing and professional editing software.

Photographers who work for corporate or business clients will often share finalized photographs in a digital format to the client. However, wedding and portrait photographers, who primarily serve individuals and families, may also provide framing services or present the photos in an attractive album.

Many wedding and portrait photographers are self-employed and spend time advertising, scheduling appointments, setting and adjusting equipment, purchasing cameras from a New York camera store and other supplies, keeping records, billing customers, paying bills, and—if they are lucky enough to have employees—hiring, training, and directing their employees.

Some New York City photographers teach photography classes or conduct workshops in schools or their photography studios.

There are many types of NYC photographers:

  • Portrait photographers take pictures of individuals or groups of people and typically work in their own photography studios. NYC photographers who specialize in weddings, religious ceremonies, or school photographs may work on location at catering halls, restaurants, clubs and other venues.
  • Commercial and industrial photographers take pictures of a wide variety of interesting subjects, such as artifacts, buildings, merchandise, landscapes and models. These commercial photographs are used for various purposes, from magazine covers and images to textbooks. These photographs are often taken on location.
  • Aerial photographers use airplanes or helicopters to capture photographs of buildings and landscapes from above the ground. They typically use gyrostabilizers to counteract the movement of the aircraft and ensure high-quality images.
  • Scientific photographers most often focus on the accurate visual representation of subjects and may refrain from the use of image manipulation software for clarifying an image. Scientific photographs record scientific or medical data or phenomena. Scientific photographers often use microscopes to photograph subjects.
  • News photographers also called photojournalists, photograph people, places, and events for newspapers, journals, magazines, or television. In addition to taking still photography, photojournalists often work with digital video.
  • Fine art photographers sell their photographs as artwork. In addition to possessing outstanding technical knowledge, such as lighting and use of lenses, fine arts photographers are extraordinary talented and their creativity is prized by collectors and dealers. Most fine art photographers in New York City use silver-halide film instead of digital cameras, but this is changing with new technology.
  • University photographers are usually photographers for academic institutions. They may take portraits, document an event like homecoming or graduation, or take photographs for news or press releases. Smaller institutions will often contract with freelance photographers.


Like any art, it takes years of practice and patience. Developing a portfolio—a collection of a photographer’s work that demonstrates his or her styles and skills — is critical. A portfolio is necessary because art directors, clients, and others look at a photographer’s portfolio when deciding whether to hire a New York City photographer.

NYC photography careers often start by the photographer working as an assistant to a professional photographer. This work provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience, build a portfolio, visit camera stores in New York City and meet prospective clients.

NYC photographers capture their subjects in images, and they must have the artistic skills necessary to evaluate the quality of a photograph. Photographers should have "a good eye"—the ability to use colors, shadows, shades, light, and distance to compose beautiful photographs.

In a competitive marketplace, NYC photography professionals must be able to plan marketing strategies, work with third parties to attract prospective clients, and anticipate seasonal employment.

Professional photographers typically are responsible for their own postproduction work and need to be comfortable using photo editing software. They also use computers to keep a digital portfolio and communicate with clients.

Photographers in New York City must be able to understand the needs of their clients and offer solutions – communication skills are essential. Usually things go well, but sometimes there will be complaints and issues and some customers will go online to complaint about poor service. It is important for business owners to make online reputation management a priority.

As the saying goes, “the devil is in the details” and when editing photographs a keen eye and an ability to focus under pressure is essential. In addition, successful New York photographers will amass hundreds and thousands of photographs and need to be able to access these easily and on demand.

Photography is an exciting career and there are so many wonderful products available for an amateur photographer to an experienced professional. We welcome you to 42nd Street Photo in New York City and hope you will discover our low prices and outstanding customer service.