City Photographer in Vancouver

Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable and environmentally sustainable cities. Recognized among BC’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the City of Vancouver is seeking colleagues who can help advance our core commitments to exceptional public service, sustainability, equity, and an outstanding quality of life for all residents.

Main Purpose and Function

Reporting to the Manager, Design Services, the City Photographer provides professional photography and visual content creation services for the City of Vancouver under the direction of the Civic Engagement and Communications team. This position captures, edits, organizes and maintains high-quality still photography for use across City digital channels, media materials, publications, campaigns, events and internal communications. The role supports timely, accessible and brand-aligned visual storytelling that helps communicate City programs, services, initiatives and events to the public and employees.

Specific Duties And Responsibilities

• Plans, captures and edits brand compliant professional photography for use on City digital channels, social media, websites, publications, presentations, media materials and internal communications.
• Provides brand compliant event photography for City events, announcements, openings, Council-related activities, community events and other civic initiatives.
• Captures portraits, environmental photography, project photography, community images and other visual assets that support communications plans and campaigns.
• Works with communications staff and internal clients to understand project goals, visual requirements, timelines and intended audiences.
• Provides creative advice on photography approaches, shot lists, image selection and visual storytelling.
• Ensures photography is aligned with City brand, accessibility standards, consent requirements and communications objectives.
• Edits, exports, resizes and prepares images for multiple platforms, including web, social media, print and presentations.
• Maintains an organized photo library, including naming conventions, metadata, permissions, consent records and archival systems.
• Supports urgent and time-sensitive photography needs, including rapid turnaround for media, social media and public communications.
• May coordinate with external photographers or contractors, providing City brand and art direction as required.
• Monitors trends and best practices in photography and digital asset management.
• Performs related work as required.

Qualification

Education And Experience

A diploma in photography, visual communications, digital media communications or a related discipline plus considerable experience providing photography services in an agency, media, public sector, corporate or in-house communications environment or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Considerable knowledge of photography principles, methods, techniques, equipment and tools.
• Considerable knowledge of preparing photography for digital communications channels, including web and social media.
• Knowledge of digital asset management, including consent, privacy, copyright, records management, meta-data, and image archiving practices.
• Knowledge of digital platform requirements for photography, including image size, format, accessibility and optimization for web and social media.
• Strong photography skills, including composition, lighting, event photography, portraiture and documentary-style photography.
• Ability to photograph events, people, public spaces, infrastructure, community settings and/or civic initiatives.
• Ability to create photography that supports communications goals, including public information, media, social media, campaigns and internal communications.
• Ability to develop and execute visual concepts appropriate to client needs and project goals.
• Ability to edit and prepare photos using tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva or similar software.
• Ability to work quickly and meet tight deadlines while maintaining quality.
• Ability to establish priorities and manage multiple assignments.
• Ability to take initiative and accept feedback and guidance.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external contacts.
• Familiarity with content management systems and web analytics is an asset.
• Videography or basic short-form video skills are an asset.

Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the City of Vancouver has a Flexible Work Program. This program allows staff to work a hybrid work week from locations that are a daily commutable distance from their work at a City worksite. At this time this position is eligible to be part of the Flexible Work Program.

At the City of Vancouver, we are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the community we so proudly serve. Indigenous peoples, people of colour, 2SLGBTQ+ persons including all genders and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Accommodations will be provided upon request during the selection process.

The City of Vancouver acknowledges that it is situated on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).