State of Maryland

A Photographer III is the supervisory level of work in the field of photography.   Employees in this classification supervise the activities of a group of Photographers and supporting staff engaged in developing and processing photographic material in a State department photographic laboratory.  Employees in this classification handle non-routine assignments which require creativity in composition or a greater degree of professional skill.  Employees in this classification supervise lower-level Photographers, photographic assistants and clerical employees.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision and work assignments from a designated administrator; however, these employees are responsible for the planning and arrangement of the work, schedules of the laboratory and quality of completed projects.  Work effectiveness is evaluated by inspection of work completed in the photographic laboratory and through conferences and written reports.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work Sections of the class specification.

The Photographer III is differentiated from the Photographer II in that the Photographer III has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Photographers while the Photographer II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Organizes, schedules and directs the work of technical personnel in a photographic laboratory;

Mixes developing solutions, develops negatives and makes enlargement prints;

Takes still and motion pictures of events, persons, animals, buildings and other objects;

Prepares photographic exhibits;

Takes photographs for identification purposes;

Operates and maintains photographic equipment;

Operates contact and projection printing equipment;

Prepares and mounts finished prints;

Performs photostat and microfilm copy work;

Performs incidental clerical work such as indexing and filing prints, negatives or other photographic material;

Conducts on the job training for subordinates;

Assures that adequate records and files are maintained;

Prepares reports regarding the types and amounts of work processed in the laboratory;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of principles and methods of operating a photographic laboratory;

Knowledge of photographic methods and techniques;

Knowledge of photographic equipment, chemistry and materials;

Ability to develop negatives, print pictures and process photographic material;

Ability to operate all types of photographic equipment;

Ability to plan and direct a photographic laboratory;

Ability to supervise and evaluate the performance of lower-level Photographers and subordinates;

Ability to organize and conduct in-service training for subordinates;

Ability to communicate effectively.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Five years of experience in photographic laboratory work and picture taking, including one year of experience in a supervisory capacity, or as a full performance level Photographer in State government.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute one year of training at a recognized school of photography for one year of the required general experience.

2. Candidates may substitute photographic work experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for up to two years of the required high school education.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Photography, Cameraman, or Mass Communications Specialist classifications or Photography, Journalism, or Visual Information Equipment Operator specialty codes in the Photography field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience. 

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit B- Administrative, Technical and Clerical classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.