Before you go into photography there are a couple things to know that could help you become a successful photographer or just help you have a better understanding of what you are getting into. Photography is a pretty easy thing to learn because you are pretty much just taking photos of something that is in front of you. But there are some things that will help your photos look professional and to make them look better without having to edit them. So here I have come up with ten things that will help you become a professional photographer….
- Being Confident
When becoming a photographer, you are going to struggle at your first session, but everyone has been there, you learn from your mistakes and do it all over again. It will not be an easy process because you have a client that are paying you for these photos for them to post them on social media and tag your name to it. You just need to be confident in what you are creating and know your work it good and the client will love it and share it so your name will be out there. It is also to act confident even if you don’t feel like it; “fake it until you make it”, you need to feel confident for your work to be good and inspirational.
2. LIGHT
Light is one of the most important things to make sure is correct at you shoot to make sure your photos will turn out right, there is always editing but it cannot fix everything. Lighting is probably one of the most important part of photography and can make or break your image because it is the main element of how your image will turn out. It also depends on where you are taking the photos; if you are outside then you must watch the weather and see the light and if it is to sunny then that is another factor that will make you image not turn out well.
3. Shooting in Manual
When using your camera, you always want to move it to a manual setting because then you will be able to make your photos how you want them and be able to control everything. First it will be a little difficult to get used to but once you get the hang of it you will be able to control all your photos. The auto setting is easy to use because it does everything for you and just takes the photos but when using manual you are able to control all the settings, that also leads us to making sure your settings are correct before you take the photo or you might have to stop your shoot and change your settings, which can be done but try not to take a lot of time on it.
4.Editing
Editing is probably one of the most confusing parts of photography because you never know what is to little or too much, it is always ok to edit your photos and clean them up but do not overdo it. It is a tricky process because you want to clean them up but it’s knowing when to stop; when I edit, I make sure that I am not trying to make the photo look better but cleaning up the already good photo that is taken. It all starts with your photo and what you are trying to accomplish but if it is a portrait shot try not to over edit it make the person look natual.
5. Know Your Camera
When buying a camera, you want to make sure that you are getting a good deal on one and not paying for one that is overprice and too complicated for you to use. Sometimes they have package deals where you can get a whole package of things for a camera plus a camera in there. Starting off you just want to get a basic camera that is easy to use and to do things on, like moving them over to a computer to edit or just being able to change the settings and make your own changes.
6. Pricing
This kind of ties into what camera to get and how much you are willing to spend on a camera, but I will say cameras are expressive and cost a lot of money. And sometimes it’s not even the camera you are paying for but the lenses and the things that come with the camera. While buying a camera and someone is helping you make sure you are not being ties into something that you do not need, if you have a camera, lenses, and some other equipment you are good to go and start taking photos.
7. Taking Advice and Tips
While starting off in the photography world there will be times when someone will want to give you advice or things to help you in your business, don’t take a personal they are just trying to help you. It might be hard because that is your business and your work, but it is always helpful to take the advice because it might help you in later times. And the maybe one day you will be at a shoot and remember that advice that you got and it helps you at that time, so try not to take it personal.
8. No Family or Friends
Now this one is a difficult one because that is your first thought is when starting in photography, you want to take pictures of your family and friends, but you should try not to because they will be for sure your hardest customers. They will want you to do it for free or constantly ask you to take their photos because they know you will either for free or a cheap price. Trust me; I have been through it and will not be doing it again, it was a difficult process to get through and caused a lot of problems. My suggestion would be to just to try and stay clear of it all.
9. Market
When starting out in a photography look at your market in where you live and see your competition for the other photographers around you. Your market means the other photographers around the you; look at their price, what they offer, and offer of demand. Starting out you don’t want to over price and not know what to offer but also not copy them around you. You also might want to contact the other photographers around you and to get to know them, and their business. Yes, they are your competition, but they are also someone you can go to that may help you in situations.
10. Take Inspiration but Not Copy
In photography when you have a job to do you automatically go to look for inspiration to inspire you in your job, but that may lead you to copy. Not exactly coping but it’s like copying what they did and what they created. If you are ever confused or don’t have any idea on what you want to create, it is ok to look at things that will inspire you but look at it and try to think of something new that is nothing like it. It’s a difficult process because if it’s something you like and want to do, you can, just try and put your own spin to it so it doesn’t look similar that someone will recognize.
From these ten things I hope you read this and know a little more about photography and what it offers. It is such a generic topic and something that anyone can do but if you are really wanting to start a business out of it, know what you are getting into. This is a tricky business because of how many people are in it and it’s not a high demand job but if you have the skills you can make it.
Page Break
Work Cited
Lim, Lauren. “7 Essential Things Every Photographer Needs to Learn.” Photography Concentrate, 4 Sept. 2019, photographyconcentrate.com/7-essential-things-every-photographer-needs-to-learn/.
PIXLES 