Jun 25 2008
Becoming a Professional Photographer
Do you know you would like to get into photography, but you’re not sure how to get started? Here are a few ways to improve your chances of being able to make it as a professional photographer.
- Get a photography degree. Having the proper education is one of the best ways to break into a field where you don’t have any experience, so you should consider getting a degree from a good photography school, such as Brooks Institute. It indicates to employers and/or clients that even if you don’t have lots of professional experience just yet, you DO know what you’re doing.
- Find a mentor. If you know a professional photographer, ask them if they would be willing to mentor you. A mentor will critique your photos, give you professional advice for advancing your photography career, and maybe even work directly with you to help you get started.
- Take an internship. A photography internship is another way to get some valuable work experience. You usually work at an internship while you are in school, and may even be able to earn college credit for it.
- Start a portfolio. Even if you aren’t a professional photographer yet, begin putting together a portfolio of your best shots. This will help you when you do try to find work as a professional photographer.
- Publish and/or sell your shots. There are many opportunities these days for novice or amateur photographers to publish and/or sell their work. For example, their are sites online where you can put your photos up for sale, or even give them away if you want clips of your work being used in other people’s websites and publications. You might also be able to sell your photos to a local publication — you won’t get much money for them, but it’ll be good for your portfolio.
- Start a website. A website is often thought to indicate how professional a service provider is — and I’m not talking about a MySpace or Live Journal page. Put together a professional website under your very own domain name, and you’ll have a much better chance of getting clients or finding a job as a photographer.