How to Become a Photographer

[maihannijat]

Photography is self-taught. Read books, view other works and practice.

It's nice to have a degree from a photo school, but costs more in money and lost career time than it's worth. If you have what it takes you can teach yourself faster. If you don't have the eye, no schooling will teach it to you.



Here are some steps to help you become a professional photographer:

1. Keep a Notebook


You can treat this like a travel log of your experience, a place where you keep notes, set goals, paste trimmings of shots you’ve found that inspire you etc.


2. Shoot Frequently

If you really want to gain confidence, you should be out shooting as much as you possibly can.


3. Shoot in Different Conditions

Not only should you be shooting regularly, you should be out shooting in different conditions as often as possible to familiarize yourself with them.


4. Set Goals

Is there a particular technique you’d like to learn? Perhaps there’s a shot you saw and you’d like to attempt to achieve a similar result. Write your goal down in your notebook and keep track of how far you’ve come.


5. Read

There are SO MANY great books out there on photography. Read to learn about their experience.