Tips for New Photographers
I started shooting professionally in 2010 when I was about 16 years old (very young and clueless, but I was doing what I loved and still am now.) It took me a while to understand how to run a photography business, and years to find a good mentor. Of course, I made some mistakes along the way and learned from them. Here is a list of a few things that I believe every beginner photographer should know (in no particular order), although there’s a lot more. If you’re just starting out, then I hope this can help you!
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1. Find Your Reason
What has inspired you to become a photographer? How do you feel when you’re shooting? Why did you choose this specific type(s) of photography? If you eventually turned this passion into a business, would you still enjoy it? I encourage all beginner photographers to ask themselves these types of questions and explore different photography niches to figure out what they truly like.
2. Find Your Niche
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It can be weddings, fashion, graduates, landscapes, families, products, concerts, wildlife, and more. Then, look into the even smaller niches that exist within that niche. (Example: Wedding photography can consist of destination weddings, elopements, micro weddings, engagements, etc.) After shooting for a while and learning, you’ll narrow down your choices. You don’t have to feel like you need to excel in EVERY niche in order to be a “good photographer.” Just focus on a few or even one and enjoy the experience.
3. Learn Lighting
Once you start learning lighting, you’ll begin to notice it everywhere all the time. You’ll notice it when you’re sitting in a coffee shop and the window light is creating a cozy ambiance with unique shadows, at the beach when the sand is a big natural reflector that bounces sunlight back, in movie scenes, and in other photographs. Knowing how light works and how your camera sees light is a crucial part of photography. If you’re just starting to learn the basics, I recommend working with natural light as much as you can (and fully understanding it) before moving onto studio lighting. Some photographers avoid shooting in harsh sunlight at all costs, but I think you should practice with shooting at all different times of the day. You’ll quickly start to recognize which times create harsh shadows, distinct color tints (golden hour vs. blue hour), backlighting, etc. Also, a reflector is a photographer’s best friend.
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4. Learn Manual Mode
Pretty much every newbie photographer started out by taking photos in auto mode (myself included). If you’re shooting in auto mode, then you’re allowing your camera to be in control of the art you’re creating, instead of the other way around. The camera is a tool that helps you create the images you want. By shooting in manual mode, you’re making sure that the photos come out how you want. Learn the “Big 3” of shooting manually: ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, and how they work together and affect each other. You should also focus on learning the other basic technical aspects of photography, such as the rule of thirds and lens focal lengths (this is where taking a beginner photography class can help.) It can all be confusing at first, so just be patient with yourself and practice as often as possible. You’ll eventually get to a point where you’ll know exactly which settings to use based on specific lighting scenarios, how quickly your subjects are moving, and more.
5. Find Community
Having a support system is so important and can help you stay motivated. If you’re in school, join a photography club on campus or take a course. If you’re not a student, see if a recreation center or local community college offers classes or weekend photoshoot meetups. Find groups on Facebook like Build & Bloom or (Your City Name) Photographers to find photographer friends, ask for advice, or request constructive criticism on your photos. Connecting with other photographers and learning from each other is a fun and rewarding experience. It’s also a good idea to have an accountability partner so you can keep each other on track with your photography goals. Some of my favorite styled shoots I’ve done were with the film & photo society I was apart of in college.
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6. Website > Social Media
Many photographers worry about not having “enough” social media followers and making sure their Instagram feed looks aesthetically pleasing. Having a professional looking online portfolio to showcase your BEST work (not all your work) is far more important. I can confirm that clients are more impressed by a strong website and testimonials from other former clients rather than your amount of followers or likes. Instagram should not be your portfolio, it’s just another place to market your photos.
7. Look Into Online Resources
You can find great learning opportunities on sites like YouTube or Skillshare. I still love watching Lightroom editing tutorials and behind the scenes videos of photoshoots on YouTube in my free time. However, the best way to improve your photography skills is by actually going out and shooting, not just reading and watching content all the time.
8. Find A Mentor
You can also ask an established photographer if they would be willing to let you shadow them during a shoot. A good mentor can be life-changing and I didn’t find one until I was 10 years in business through a networking event. It’s a lot better to have someone that can guide you rather than trying to figure everything out on your own. Just remember that professional mentor/mentee relationships are not one-sided. You, the mentee, has to put in the work to improve your skills, communicate well, and be reliable.
There’s many other things to learn when it comes to photography (composition, editing, color theory, contracts, etc.), but these are a few good things to know. Best of luck!
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