Ready to take your photography passion and turn it into a profession?
Photography, like any art field, can be challenging and very competitive, but if you have the drive and the skills you can become a professional photographer in time.
Follow these steps to help get move your photography from a hobby to your day job.
Class and Craft
If you want to take the best photography and get work as a professional, you need to have some basic training. This doesn’t mean you need a fine arts degree in photography, but taking a few classes to get you started can do a world of difference.
You need to know how to use the equipment including film and digital. You need to know how to edit and you need to know how to market your work. Taking photography from an Instagram account into a career takes a lot of time and dedication, so learning the basics is the bare minimum.
Practice, Engage, Explore
There are a lot of different types of photography, and a lot of different types of photos. When you want to go pro in any field, you have to practice and improve your craft.
Going out and taking pictures, finding people to model, and traveling to unique locations to get good shots, are part of your studying and growth.
It might be hard to know which area of photography you want to focus on, so trying out a lot of different styles can help you find your favorite and improve your skills. Take photos as often as possible and edit your favorites to end up with good shots to demonstrate your skills.
Good Edits
The photography industry includes more than snapping a few good shots. You also need to be able to edit the photos. Learn about the various editing software available like lightroom and others. Improve your skills in them so you can edit your own photos well.
Learn all the ins and outs of Lightroom with things like how to save presets, so you can save time and find your specific style. Even if you prefer one type of technology to another, especially when editing, it can be helpful to know your way around multiple kinds of editing software.
Portfolio Time
When you feel confident in your style and the type of photography you enjoy the most, start building your portfolio. You want to have a lot of strong shots to demonstrate what you can do. You can also start entering them into competitions.
When you have some of your best photography ready, you have to market yourself and your skills. You can work in photography in a lot of different areas. You could work in fashion, as an art photographer, a wildlife photographer, and more.
Find the areas you’re most passionate about, send around your portfolio, and learn how to network to show off your shots.
Professional Photographer on the Job
Being a professional photographer isn’t easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get the best shot you can. But if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you will end up with a portfolio filled with fantastic photos to show your skills.
Push past when it’s hard and you can make it in the field. And if you found this helpful, keep reading for more good tips.
