How do you become a photographer
I'm sure you will agree with me when I tell you that all of us are photographers irrespective of whether we are using DSLR's or digital cameras or even simple camera phones. But this doesn't mean that all of us can become professional photographers right? That's why in this article, I am going to talk to you about a few things that you can do in order to become a professional photographer and build a nice career for yourself in this lucrative field:
1. The first thing you need to do is to decide if you're willing to put in the hard work required to make it as a photographer. The initial period is going to be quite difficult and if you don't have the ability to get through this then perhaps you shouldn't consider taking up photography. You'll need to put in a lot of hard work, focus and practice. You will have to make a lot of sacrifices as well. You'll need to spend a lot of time and money as well. Anyone can take a photograph but if you wish to become a professional photographer, you will have to improve your skills accordingly. You'll also need to determine which field of photography you wish to pursue.
2. As far as training to become a professional photographer is concerned, there is no better source than the internet. There are quite a few videos available online and you will definitely be able to gain a lot of knowledge about photography from these videos. Just ensure that you are viewing a trusted source. Don't just take anyone’s word for it.
3. You'll need to get the right equipment if you want to be a good photographer as well. While it is true that the quality of a photograph will depend on the quality of the photographer but a good photographer will not be able to produce quality photographs without good equipment.
4. Now that you have everything you need to get things done the next thing you need to do is practice. I'm sure you would have heard the saying, practice makes perfect. If you don't practice you will obviously not be able to become a good photographer.
5. And lastly, once you have the necessary knowledge and experience to become a photographer, you will need to market & promote yourself properly. After all, if you don't promote yourself properly, how do you expect people to know that you are a professional photographer and are offering these services
How do professional photographers price themselves
If you have been speaking to professional photographers for a few weeks, you will probably get confused as to how much they should be charging you. You will get a variety of different quotes for the same project and you will get a variety of different reasons for this varied price as well. But how do they really price themselves? Do you know? Do you want to find out? Read on...
There is no denying the fact that a lot of people just call up photographers and ask them for quotes with no intention of working with them. They have so many different questions about the prices too. And as a photographer you need the work right? You can't afford to ignore anyone in the hopes that they might have business for you. Potential customers would also want to look at samples of your work. This is where the internet can help. There are many photographers that have websites where you can view their work. The quality of their work will be the main determinant of how much they are going to charge. If their work is really good, you may not mind paying them a little extra right? But if their work sucks, you will not even consider them.
You can even send them emails or call them to discuss their work and prices. You may want something in particular and they might have special rates for that particular service. It's always nice to speak to them before deciding whether or not to use them.
One very important thing which you need to understand here though is that not everyone who owns expensive equipment is a photographer. Just because someone has a $ 500 camera doesn't mean he/she is a good photographer. You will obviously want a professional handling this job for you right? You may have to pay a little extra but you will at least get a professional result. There is no denying the fact that you need good technology to produce good results. But if the person behind the lens isn't good, no matter how good the technology you use, it is not going to produce good results.
There are many things that photographers have to pay for. After all they are people just like you and me. They have bills too. Don't think that they don't have any expenses so they shouldn't charge you anything either. Offering free food and drinks may work for your buddy but if you want a professional service, you will need to treat the photographer like a professional as well. And no professional is going to work for free right?
