Origin: Greek prefix photo-
Photographer has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
someone who takes photographs professionally
"The photographer spent three hours setting up lights to capture the perfect portrait for the client's portfolio."
One who takes photographs, typically as an occupation.
"After years of documenting wildlife for a living, she finally sold her equipment and retired from being a photographer."
In plain English: A photographer is someone who takes pictures with a camera.
"The photographer adjusted his camera to capture the perfect sunset shot."
Usage: A photographer is a person whose job involves taking pictures professionally, such as a wedding or news shooter. Do not use this term to describe someone who only casually snaps photos for fun unless they are working in the field.
The word photographer comes from combining "photograph" with the suffix "-er." The root for photograph traces back to Ancient Greek words meaning "light" and "to write," reflecting the process of capturing images using light.