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Posted 12/31/2008 @ 10:04:00 am by photographyblogger.com
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Many people enjoy photography, and many of those people wonder how they can make extra money at this hobby. Even you can become a professional photographer. Becoming a professional photographer is actually pretty easy, and you don't necessarily have to go to college. You can enroll in a photography degree program or take classes at an art school, or a local community college. However having a degree may get you further in certain areas.
Speak to other professional photographers in your area. This will help you figure out how and where to get started. Most are more than willing to tell you all about their trials. Study how-to photography books, and websites. These will help you also. Pick your focus and stick with it. Once you have picked a focus (weddings, landscape, portrait, photojournalism etc.) you will be doing most if not all of your work in that area. Many of these areas don't really need a degree, but if you pick photojournalism or crime scene photographer you will be better off getting a degree.
Now that you've done some research of how to become a professional photographer, it's time to actually work your way to becoming one. Buy the best equipment that you can afford, this is an investment and will make a big difference in the future. Your biggest investment will be your lens. They need to be removable and interchangeable, you can use another camera or up grade later on. Invest in a photography marketing guide, they give complete contact information for; magazines, greeting card companies and book publishers. This information will help you know where to send your photos.
Next you want to practice -- shoot, shoot, shoot. Strive for originality, don't be afraid to experiment. Always having you camera on hand will enable you to take photos in different places and of different subjects. Once you have a good amount of photos, build a quality portfolio. Place your best photos in plastic sleeves in a nice binder or on CD. This will be a good way for potential clients to look over your work. Enter a photography contest, this is the best way to start building a resume of credits. It looks really good to your potential clients if you won. Find a local gallery to have a small exhibition for your work. This is the best way to get your work out there. Be sure to copyright your work. You can either do one piece at a time or put a bunch together and copyright a collection.
Now that you know how to make your way to becoming a professional photographer, you are set. But first you need to work on some small things, like getting everything together and on its way. Start small and start local. Don't strive for a place or a job way out of your league. Working you way up is always best. And remember the customer is always right!
