How to become a professional photographer?
Photography: how to begin?
Everyone used to start. Each person in a little different way and with various results.
Today I’d like to share my reflections and advice on how to become a professional
photographer. It’s time to make your dreams come true!
Action plan for photographers for the very beginning
1. Create a fan page (even if you are not planning a professional career at
photography yet) – gaining new followers or fans from the beginning is a great
help if you want to change a photographic hobby into work. Beginning with no
audience when you want to make money is quite dispiriting. Remember that
your fan page should be professional to the greatest possible extent. Do not
share any content which is at an insufficient level.
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2. Be professional in every aspect. When you start to implement first orders
(even free), behave as if you were a part of that business for a very long time.
For instance, do not send the photos to a client on his e-mail, or from any free
accounts for sharing photos. Use a tool to send photos for photographers,
such as, for example Photonesto - https://www.photonesto.com/en/. Thanks to
this approach, the clients will view you as a pro and will recommend you while
they feel better served.
3. Show off your photos within the industry. Send photos to various photo
competitions or other on Facebook / Instagram. A referral in a form of taking
some place, or even a distinction sounds really serious and the clients will
have a specific basis to consider using your professional photo services – after
all, an amateur does not win competitions, right? ;-)
4. Equipment – that is an important element of every professional photographer.
It is important to invest in quality and not quantity at the beginning. Buy one
camera lens, yet a good, solid one. Preferably with bright light. A minimum of
f/1.8 or even brighter. Such lens would work with every possible order. From
product photography, through a wedding or a family one, and finishing on
fashion photo shooting and other specializations. You will “worry” about future
investments in equipment once you start making money on photography.
5. Analyze photos and professional stories of top photographers. One
photographer and his story a day. Each of them used to start and their path
may be a suggestion for you. I had spent many hours seeking inspiration from
others myself. At some point it became an everyday habit – I highly
recommend that.
6. “If it’s not on the Internet, then it does not exist” – the whole knowledge and
experience of various people is on the Internet. Yeah, I know, quite trivial, but
that is the truth – at the moment, the number of online guidebooks and
photography courses is countless. Start with some free content. I also
recommend you to listen to podcasts of photographers who have been
successful in their fields.
Summary
These are just a few ideas for the beginning. The most important thing is not to give
up and do something to become a better photographer every day. You will surely
have moments of doubt and disappointment, yet every single person who has
achieved something went through this one moment or another – with no exceptions
here. Work, get inspired and do everything to become a professional photographer.
