With the advancement of smartphones, everyone has a camera on them all the time. And that can be a very good thing, because the best way to get started in photography is to bring a camera everywhere and take pictures of anything that you find interesting.
But what makes the difference between a “photographer” and a person who just takes a lot of pictures?
There is no clear answer
If you ask a group of professional photographers how they got started, they will each have a different story. The truth is, there is no clear cut path.
Some people start out with a love for taking pictures, they enjoyed photographing things long before they ever even considered trying to make a career out of it. Many times, these are people who start out on an entirely different career path but keep just getting drawn back into photo taking. They are the ones who call themselves armatures, yet insist on photographing everything. These are photographers of opportunity.
Others start out with an interest in the arts. Maybe they go to art school or artists workshops with the intention of perusing a career in an art field. For these people, photography is not always the primary goal, rather it is another extension of their artistic expression. These photographers are not just taking pictures, but they are creating works of art with their cameras. They are artists, and photography is their medium.
There are also people who learned photography as a means to an end. These are people who needed to take pictures for one reason or another and in doing so realized a skill or a love for it. Maybe photography is still just the side project needed to achieve their main goal, or maybe it has become their main focus, but either way it started out as a necessity for something else. These are the accidental photographers.
Then there are the few who have always know they want to be photographers. They go into the field of photography with purpose, intentionally learning about cameras and editing and rules of composition. These are the photographers of passion.
Still others find their own path, and forge forward to become a “photographer”
What do you need?
One thing that ties together any photographer is inspiration. Everyone is drawn to something. What do you love? The way people smile? Clouds? Patterns in nature? Colorful doors? Sporting events? Celebrations? Jewelry? Hiking? City buildings? The best place to start is with your interests. Inspiration can come from anything and everything, so the best thing to do is just start taking pictures and figure out your own artistic voice. Developing a style and a focus is part of what separates a “photographer” from “a person with a camera”.
Is the kind of camera important?
Yes and No. Having a good camera makes a huge difference, especially as you peruse photography further. But that does not mean everyone interested in photography should go out and buy a top of the line $5,000 camera. If you do not know what a full frame camera is, you probably do not need one yet. The same rule goes for most of the other camera equipment out there for purchase.
The camera on your smart phone is actually really good, and that can be awesome, but it also does you a disservice. The automatic metering in the camera does all of the work for you and therefore takes away most of your control. If you are trying to get started in photography it is probably a good idea to get a manual SLR or DSLR camera, rather than an automatic (DSLR is a digital camera while an SLR camera is one that uses film). It may take some time to find the camera that is right for you, so do not be afraid to do a little research or ask for help when deciding. Whatever you choose, the most important thing is that you like it.
Once you have your new camera you will need to take some time to learn how to use it correctly. Figuring out how to use your manual settings will allow you to take your photography to the next level.
Pay attention to your composition
Rather than just take a thousand pictures and hope at least one of them works out, take some time to compose your shot before taking your picture. A good photographer would rather take the time to set up one really good shot instead of taking hundreds of mediocre photos. This is where learning your camera is important. As you figure out your settings, you may need to take some test shots of your environment to get the lighting and depth-of-field correct, so make sure give your-self the time to set up your camera.
Ultimately the best way to get started is to just have fun and keep taking pictures.
*Keep an eye out for my article explaining the difference between SLR and DSLR cameras.
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