How to get into photography is the most common question that most people ask nowadays. As people have a good camera because of the smartphone, they want to become a photographer. They want to take better pictures. And want to show their photography skills via social media.
Though photography is not a thing that you can learn in a day. It takes years and years of practice to become a good photographer. But, when you have access to good accessories, who doesn’t want to use them?
In the past, people have to buy many accessories to take a good photo. But now, people are having more than enough powerful cameras in their pockets. As a result, whenever people are getting good views, they want to capture them. Also, they want to capture every beautiful moment of their life with a click.
But it’s not easy to master this creative skill. You need to practice every day for a long time to craft this amazing skill finally. However, in this article, we will give you some valuable information to help you from the beginning.
How To Get into Photography
If you’re a beginner in this field, you need to have a clear idea about everything. As a starter, you need to observe and do research about this field. It would then help if you decided which device you want to choose for practicing and mastering your new skill. Don’t worry about all of these. We are here to tell you everything that you need to know.
01. Know Photography Is Right for You
Photography is the most attractive career for everyone. As everyone has access to its equipment, everyone wants to be a photographer. But you need to hold tight at first. Because without feeling it from the bottom of your heart, you cannot master this skill.
You’ll probably learn some skills, but none of them will be good enough to capture a great picture. So, before getting into a photography career, you need to make sure that this is the right field for you.
Photography demands passion and sacrifice. It takes a lot of time. Also, you have to spend energy, and most importantly, you’ve to spend money. And it’s not going to be a small amount of money. As your career is growing, you’ve to spend more and more money on your equipment. So, first, you need to make sure about it.
Are you ready for the long hours and possible frustrations that come with photography? Are you passionate enough to withstand the ups and downs a beginning photographer face? Answer those questions, and you’ll have a better understanding of whether or not photography is right for you.
a. Understanding Yourself for Photography
Are you interested in photography? Does it excite you in every aspect of your life? Are you willing to do anything for this profession? Ask yourself first.
Probably, you’ll find every question’s answer a big yes. But hold tight. Because sometimes people are willing to do anything for the time being affection. But, in the long run, they lose their interest. After that, they start to question themselves and find themself in depression.
So, you need to ask yourself more and more questions. After getting the right, then you can think about choosing photography as your career.
b. Choose Photography from Your Love
Many people come to the photography profession just because they want to make some money. It’s no wonder, many people around the world support themselves with photography. They are turning it into a lasting and fulfilling career. Because countless advertising agencies and publications need photographers to provide them with content, and for that, they pay them handsomely.
Also, here you can decide your hourly income on a freelance basis. But the main thing is photography engages your creativity in a world where creative careers are harder to come by. In a photography career, money is not going to be enough for motivating you. Instead, you need to love this career.
Otherwise, after a few days, you will lose interest and won’t continue doing your job. If all of these things matter to you, you are good to go. Otherwise, go and read becoming a photographer to overcome your confusion.
02. Start With Your Smartphone
In the field of photography, it is not always necessary to use a DSLR for photography. Nowadays, a smartphone camera has the same power as a DSLR. So, it’s better to get started with the simple one that is available to you.
Take your smartphone and start to take photos. Notice the difference. Then, learn about other features like ISO, aperture, filters, etc. It will help you take good pictures and help you understand the basic features of the camera. So, it’s better to get started with a smartphone.
03. Which Gear Should I Begin With?
At the beginning of photography, there are a few key pieces of essential gear that you should have. Once you’ve built up the basics of your photography skills, then you can invest in photography equipment. Assuming you already have a camera, here’s an essential photography equipment list that you need in the beginning.
a. Remote Shutter Release
To take a shot without physically touching the body, a remote shutter release is very useful. It’s a great thing as it eliminates the potential for camera shake and accidental blurring. It’s used in conjunction with a tripod.
b. Tripod
A tripod is a versatile and necessary accessory for photography. you need a tripod for every photograph. Like, shooting landscape, portrait, night, street, or wedding photography. In low-light settings, tripods are extremely useful. Because without any camera shake, a tripod allows you to take longer-exposure shots.
c. External Flash
Every photographer needs to use Flash. Even if you don’t have any plan to shoot in the dark, you need it. But don’t think about using the built-in flash on your camera body. Because it is not powerful enough to take good shots. Instead, spend a little bit of money on your photography lighting equipment and purchase an external flash unit.
d. S.D. Memory Cards
Many people use one giant S.D. card to keep all the images. But it’s a bad practice. Because in case your memory card gets corrupted, you’ll lose all of your images. So, instead of using one big S.D. card, use many smaller S.D. cards to reduce the risk of losing everything at once.
e. Camera Cleaning Kit
Dirt, dust, and moisture often get into camera bodies, lenses, and accessories. The worst thing is sometimes your expensive camera and lenses suffer permanent damage because of them. So, neglecting camera maintenance is the most expensive mistake you can ever make. That’s the reason you should learn how to clean the camera gear with a camera cleaning kit properly.
f. Prime Lens
Your progress in photography skills will end up collecting plenty of different types of lenses. Having different types of lenses lets you take all kinds of shots. But in the beginning, you should start with a single prime lens. The prime lens cannot zoom. And, by using it, you can learn a lot about proper composition techniques.
Because having a fixed camera lens will make you think carefully about your shots. And, that stretches your photography skills, which helps you to improve faster.
g. Camera Bag
After buying all the equipment, now you need to carry all of them in a properly designed bag. In Photography, equipment is only useful when you have it with you at the time of taking photos. Otherwise, all of them will be nothing but a showpiece to you.
h. Photography Studio Equipment
For setting up a small studio and practice with lights, models, and backdrops need to add a few essential pieces of photography studio equipment to the list. A fully professional photography studio outfit has more lights than you can even imagine.
In case you’re just getting started, begin with some entry-level softbox or umbrella lights. You’ll also need to invest in some backdrops like Muslin, canvas, seamless paper, and cotton. This list will set you on the right path no matter what area of photography you want to focus on.
What Kind of Photography Career Path You Should Follow.
Photography may seem so simple. But there are a lot of career paths you can follow to become a successful photographer. Here, I’m going to state some of them to give you a clear idea about them.
04. Steps to Follow
a. Choose the Right Education
There are a lot of photography programs designed to match each student’s career goals. Most of the photography programs are available from the certificate to the master’s level.
b. Choose a Focus
There are several types of photography specialties. And you can choose one of them to become a specialist.
These areas are:
- Portrait photography
- Commercial photography
- Scientific and industrial photography
- Aerial photography
- Fine art photography
c. Internships
Students have an opportunity to engage in photographic workshops and fieldwork by Internship. Here, one can explore the technical, creative, and logistical aspects of photography both in a studio and on location.
d. Take Exams for Certificates
A lot of certificates are available to photographers. The Professional Photographers Association offers some of them. Examples of these certifications are:
- Certified Professional Photographer
- Certified Forensic Photographer
- Registered Biological Photographer
e. Land an Entry-Level Job
Most schools have a career center. They can assist them with job interview tips. Also, they can help students write effective resumes and cover letters. Every student should leverage this resource to find a job.
f. Going Back to School for Continuing Education or an Advanced Degree
Every educational level gives you more academic training and instruction. This also makes the applicant more desirable to potential employers or possible clients. In case a student who doesn’t wish to obtain another degree can also be benefited from non-degree continuing education options.
g. Try All Kinds of Photography
Though you will become an expert in one section of photography, you’ve to try them all. Because without trying them all, you’ll not know about your ability in other sections.
For this, try each sector first. It will give you a clear idea about your career path. It will also let you know, without your expertise section, which section you can work too. Or do better. So, never limit your field. Try and try different things to know more and grow more.
05. Try To Create Depth in the Images
Anyone can take a photo. But what makes someone a good photographer?
A good photographer has depth in their images. So, you need to master this skill. Here, we are going to give you some tips that will help you to create depth in your images.
a. Using the right camera angle
To add depth to your images is to plant your feet in the right place. And point your camera in the right direction. It means when shooting straight onto something flat, the image will also look flat.
b. Layer Your Images
By adding layers, one can create depth on their image. It means having things in the scene that are various distances away from the camera. Essentially adding a foreground element (something close), a middle ground, and a background (something far away).
We don’t run into things as our eyes perceive depth. And also, we can see both near and far objects at the same time. It’s the photographer’s job to add a scene with the right elements to layer your image. The easiest way to do this is to find a subject that you want to photograph. And, then back up and add something in the foreground.
c. Use Light to Add Depth
The next thing to consider for adding depth to an image is the lighting. For that, first, you have to look at the light on the subject. And think, does it add a feeling of three-dimensionality? Or is it flat and lifeless? In photography, light is everything. So, make sure your light complements the scene. And, adds to the mood and feeling you want is key to successful images.
d. Use Framing in Compositions
To create a sense of depth in your image is framing. It is the one element of composition that is particularly useful in this area. By backing up and adding something in the foreground, you’re adding layers. But what if you can take it up and add another notch? By finding something to use a frame around your subject, adds interest to the picture. And the viewer can’t help but be drawn inside for a closer look at this.
Conclusion
These valuable tips will help you to get into photography. But all in all, you need to practice, practice, and practice. If you have any other valuable tips, let us know in the comment box below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Highest-Paid Photography Job?
Food photography is the highest-paid photography job. Here, one can get $58,306 annually, where the hourly rate is $28.36.
Q: What are the 3 Elements of Photography?
The three elements of photography are light, subject, and composition.
Q: What are the Skills of a Photographer?
Creativity, technical photography skills, patience and concentration, attention to detail, strong networking skills, team working skills are the key skills of a photographer.
