In addition to being the Reviews Editor here at Digital Camera World, I am an experienced professional photographer and videographer. I’ve had the good fortune to work with some fantastic brands, and my photography has brought me to some incredible places. Over the years, I’ve learned a few things that helped me reach my current position. Here are some tips to help any aspiring videographer or photographer who wants to succeed in the industry.
It doesn’t matter what you wear.
Many of them are on this website. You can find many of them on this website.
Truth time: News and blogs produce this content to stay in business. Brands then tell us marketing lies about how new cameras allow photographers to achieve pioneering capabilities that were never before possible. Yes, having a few more frames per second is excellent, and the two extra megapixels are undoubtedly impressive. Still, people have been making stunning, moving, and timeless images for over a hundred years. Today’s best photographers and videographers use phones, low-resolution DSLRs, and even outdated technology!
You already have a camera that is capable of creating unique masterpieces. It’s true what they say – you should always use the camera you have on you. A new camera will only solve your problems if your photos come out how you want them to. If you need to learn how to use your camera, it doesn’t matter which one you have. Spending money on workshops, experience, or even practice would be a better investment to help you better understand your equipment and create better with it. This leads us to…
Watch YouTube no longer.
YouTube is a great place to learn photography basics, get tips, and be inspired. When I started photography, I still use it today. If you copy what you see online or follow step-by-step guides, are you considered a photographer then? Gordan Ramsey still needs to follow a recipe.
YouTube photographers have a very homogenous look. This is especially evident on Instagram, where there’s a trend of repetitive work. You’ve probably seen it everywhere, from milk baths to people looking out at the mountain edge, all surrounded by washed-out blacks and overly bright greens.
It is time to challenge yourself and be your creative person. You can stop reading guides, blogs, or YouTube. You can be inspired by what you see online, but you should also try new things. Try making your own Lightroom presets instead of buying presets from YouTubers.
Constant obsession with what I should be doing can distract me from what I could be doing. If you’re still reading, and you think that everything is wrong, keep on reading.
Embrace your terrible photos.
Annie Leibowitz probably has some naughty pictures in her collection. It has been a way of life for centuries to learn from mistakes. This is precisely how I have learned about photography. How I do that has taught me as much about photography and my camera as ‘how do you do that.’ I have known as much about my camera and photography from thinking, ‘How do I do that?’ ‘.
Even if you read something online that contradicts what you want to do, ignore it and try it. Making mistakes will help you think creatively and solve problems. It will encourage you to try new camera and tool techniques and open up your workflow.
You will only get attention for your work if it’s promoted.
When I talk to new photographers, one of their biggest myths is that clients just come to them. This is not to say that it will never happen. But for most people, this is not the case.
What do you do now? Even if they deny it, successful photographers take social media very seriously. It is best to create a comprehensive marketing plan that covers all bases. This includes having an attractive website, listing it in the correct places, using social media, and paying for promotion.
You can’t simply post new images to your social media channels. You have to learn how hashtags work and master the timing. You must spread your likes, comment on other people’s pictures, follow new people consistently, and promote others’ work. This helps social media algorithms push your content out to new people and builds a community around your posts.
Professional photography is about more than just taking photos.
Photographing is only a tiny part of your work as a professional photographer.
You have business management tasks like updating your website, managing Google ads, and financial planning. There is also the planning, creation, and implementation of a comprehensive social-media plan (see below). Responses to client leads and questions, cost analyses, quotes, and invoices.
You will then have to work with your new client. Depending on the client, this may involve additional hours of pre-photography planning and consultation. While many clients trust that I will follow the talk and do my work effectively, others are more demanding. They may call me dozens of times a day leading up to a shoot.
Then you get to take a few pictures.
Post-production is next, which is often misunderstood as “editing.” In reality, it involves importing and organizing, culling and labeling images, editing them, exporting the files, and uploading. Then, you collect (again) and label (again) the uploaded photos and send them to the client. You then take feedback, edit again, reupload the pictures, and hopefully get the final approval. You may also be required to purchase and create printed albums, personalized memory sticks, or framed photos, depending on your work area.
