Becoming a Photographer: A beginners Guide
Everybody can take photos, especially today with the abilities granted to us by smartphones. However, becoming a real photographer is a whole other matter. If you want to step up your snapping game to take better photos, and eventually make some money doing so, read on.
This post is split into two sections: Casual and Serious. The casual half is for those of you who just want to take better photos for yourself, your Instagram or perhaps your business. The Serious half is for those of you, perhaps already skilled photographers, who would like to take the next step and make some coin from your camera.
Let’s jump in:
Part 1: Casual
Put the time in
Being a casual photographer is great. You get to wander around with your camera and snap what you want and have no standards to work to. Even though I work as a sports photographer, where I have to produce images to a certain standard, I still find my time to be casual.
I wouldn’t recommend forcing yourself into the world of photography. It takes a while to get good at and if you don’t enjoy the process of learning then it will be a torturous career path. If you happen to enjoy photography, however, you’ll likely end up putting the hours in for fun by going for walks with your camera or doing DIY portrait shoots with friends (or your dog).
Learn the basics (with online resources)
You don’t need a camera to learn the fundamentals of photography, you can always practice with your phone. However, I would recommend getting a cheap camera (check out my buying guide here) as you’ll get a little more control over the image quality. There are many ways you can go about learning the basics of photography, from formal education like a college course or degree to one of the ways I learnt: Online.
Another benefit of picking up photography in this day and age is that we have access to a plethora of online resources. From blogs and websites, like the one you’re reading this on right now, to YouTube videos, podcasts, eBooks and more.
Join a Club
Being part of a community in pretty much anything makes for a more enjoyable time. I joined the club that I’m in at the age of 16 and I am still the youngest member by a few decades. Joining was a massive aid to the progression of my photography skills, as I was surrounded by much more experienced photographers who I could ask questions to.
We have weekly homework tasks set, which made us photograph things that we wouldn’t otherwise, widening our creative view. We also have quarterly and annual competitions to keep things competitive. I managed to win one of the competitions and the sense of achievement further motivated me to keep improving my work.
Find inspiration
It’s very hard to create exciting work when the only photographs you see are your own. By seeing the work of other creatives (be it on Instagram, within your club, in photography magazines, etc) and pay attention to new techniques, styles and trends that are appearing.
You don’t necessarily have to hop on every trend (do your own thing!) and for the love of photography don’t plagiarise and rip off the work of others. Keeping your eyes open to what’s going on allows you to see new opportunities, putting your own twist on the new photography trend or combining different styles in unique ways.
Part 2: Getting Serious (And Earning Some Money)
The main thing to understand, if you wish to become a professional photographer, is that it requires a large investment of both time and money to get up the rankings. At first, you will be landing free or very low paid gigs but if you follow the steps below you will see results.
Invest money in:
Good enough camera equipment - You don’t need to have a professional level DSLR and top quality glass to start landing paid gigs as a photographer (or videographer, if you happen to do both) but an entry-level DSLR or mirrorless is my recommendation. It’s not just about the quality of your images, as you can produce equally good photographs on a compact if you get creative and clever enough, but the image of you yourself. Turning up to a job with gear that at least looks professional to the client will send a good message about you and get them to take you seriously. For more information about which camera body is best for you, check out my camera buying guide.
The best lens(es) for you is also dependent on the type of work that you are doing. Wildlife photographers typically need large telephoto lenses to get close to the action while street photographers gain more from wide-angle and fish-eye lenses. Consider how far away you will be shooting subjects from to determine the focal length and if whether or not that distance changes much will determine if you should go with primes or zooms.
Lighting - Perhaps the best piece of budget gear I’ve ever bought was a 5-in-1 reflector and diffuser. This allowed me far more control over the lighting of my shots while folding into a bag for portability.
Another significant improvement in my work came when I got speedlights. These portable flashes can be used on your camera or, with some kind of remote, off-camera and fitted to light modifiers like softboxes or beauty dishes. On-camera flash is super handy for photographing events!
Another option, if you don’t wish to make an initial large investment in a range of lighting, is to rent a studio for your shoots. This is far easier to do if you live in or around a city, as you’re more likely to have that option available to you. Many colleges and universities that teach photography or creative arts may rent their spaces to students or members of the public.
There is a lot more information about lighting your shots in my post about shooting in harsh daylight
Here are some links to the reflector and flashes that I use myself (NOTE: These are affiliate links, they don’t affect the price that you pay but I do get a commission which helps to support this site.)
Invest time in:
Building your portfolio - This is where a lot of photographers can get stuck, it’s understandably very uncomfortable to be working and not seeing any initial reward (e.g. CASH!) However, this is where working for free plays to your advantage. Who’s going to turn down FREE photography services?
In my case, I built a sports photography portfolio by photographing my college’s sports games!
Every free job you do will give you more images that you can fill your portfolio with. It also gets your name shared by your client. Your portfolio should have a good quantity of high-quality images, displaying the diversity and range of your abilities but also consistency in the standard that you work to.
Once your portfolio is out there for everyone to see, we move onto the next investment of time: getting people to see it.
Networking - It’s no good having thousands of people on Instagram or elsewhere online viewing your work if they’re not potential clients. As mentioned, doing high quality work for an existing client (especially if you did it for free) will get your name spread through word of mouth. However, we can give “word of mouth” a little boost.
Networking, quite simply, means meeting new people who will be helpful to you in your field. Go to photography events, art shows, or use the location tag on social media to find potential clients or even other creatives and get a coffee with them (I’ve learnt a lot from conversations over coffee with more experienced photographers).
Perhaps the number one platform for developing your business network is LinkedIn. Create your profile, list your work experience, skills and passions, then employers or clients can search for you.
So, are you keeping it casual or are you ready to take things up a notch?
If you follow these steps, share your experiences in the comments of this post or get in touch through social media or email!
Perhaps you think I’ve missed some key steps, let me know!
