So, you think you are a photographer, eh?
Camera, check. Business name, check. People to smile for me, check. What more do you need to be a photographer?
I get several messages a week from eager people who have just purchased their first DSLR and want to be a photographer. They compliment my work and then ask what editing software I use and how I set my prices. I think they are hoping for an easy to follow cut and dry answer. If only I could provide that! I love these questions. I love them, because it was not long ago, at all, that I was asking these questions myself. We all have to start somewhere! I love that photography is so available now, that I can share this hobby with so many people. I've had several great photographers mentor me along the way and they have all given me the same sound advice. Id like to pass it along.
Do you edit your photos? What software do you use?
This question is the most asked and probably the most important. Yes, I edit...for hours and hours and for what feels like weeks on end without a break. Actually taking photos is about 5% of the actual work load. The rest of the time is spent culling, editing, answering calls and e-mails, working on marketing, following up with clients and planning. As with any business, there is budgeting and paperwork. I say this is the most important question, because often, the lay person thinks they will purchase a camera and be able to produce the same art as a seasoned professional. The truth is, the camera is only a part of the equation. The use of the depth of field, and what lens is used and how the photo is edited and how the subject is posed, and so many other variables, play into every photo taken. Anyone can take a picture, not everyone can create art. The art happens, when the photographer sees not only the subject in front of them, but the finished product and what is needed to achieve it. To answer the question directly, I use a combination of Photoshop and Lightroom to edit my photos.
How do you price your sessions?
This is the hardest thing for me. Its so easy, in the beginning especially, to price low so that you can gain clientele. I did this. I ended up spending more money then I was making pretty fast. Props, and gas and food and babysitters. Nothing like spending all day working on a project to go $40 in the hole! Several veterans gave me some very sage advice. Price your sessions to cover your expenses AND your time. Your clientele will pay for your skill. That being said, if you are expecting to get rich quick with little work...you may be pursuing the wrong thing.
Well that leads to the next question. How can I get the skill?
There are so many ways to "skin a cat", as they say. You Tube, Pinterest, classes both virtually and in person, mentoring sessions, shadowing other photographers. So many different avenues to pursue. Nothing, however, beats time with your camera. As with all things, practice makes perfect. Some good skills to start with, are learning the exposure triangle, learning to manipulate the available light and getting into manual mode. Understanding how to use the camera to work for you is the basis of the art. Anyone can put a camera into automatic mode and press the shutter.
When I first got my DSLR, I spent three hours with a toy train. I increased the shutter speed and decreased the F-stop. I played with the settings, up and down until I achieved the look I was trying for. I carried it all over the house to different lighting situations. I probably took 400 hundred photos of that train that day. I didn't walk away with any show stopping train photos, but the knowledge I gained in that afternoon, has truly served as a building block for so many other skills.
How do you survive in such a saturated market?
FIND. YOUR. NICHE.
This is probably the absolute best advice I have ever been given. Most well known photographers specialize in a specific type of photography. They have a very consistent type of editing. You know their art when you see it. I'm still finding myself, but I have a direction and a target audience. I chose the audience of child and family, because that's what I'm passionate about. This group is what makes me feel deep. I chose lifestyle photography because posed photos don't evoke emotion for me. Its those candid moments that speak to me. Those moments move me to make art. The beauty of this profession, is that my art can be so very different from your art. We can both have the same subject and create two very different outcomes. Find your voice.
Not everyone will appreciate your art. If you make art to please others, you will get burnt out quickly. Make the art that gives you passion, the clients who have a similar style will find you and will be likely to be more loyal. This is my second year of business. A good portion of my business this year was return clients. Ive developed a friendship with them and their family. They have become near and dear to my heart. I can capture them well, knowing how they work as a family unit. Our art is made together and its so much more rewarding then a good photo.
When can I call myself a professional?
When YOU feel ready. I still struggle some days, wondering if I'm worthy of the title. Some days I feel like I am, and other days...other days I feel so defeated by how far I still have to go. If there ever comes a time, when my work stops improving, Ive lost my passion. Skill level expert doesn't come overnight. A year ago, I thought my work was pretty great. Now I struggle to look back because of how far I have come. The beauty of art, is that it is defined by the artist. If you feel you are confident and ready to offer a product you are proud of, then you are a professional. There will be other photographers and people who want to dispute when someone can say they are a true professional. But at the end of the day, you only have yourself to answer to.
The best advice I can give to someone just starting out, is to find what you feel passionate about, and pursue that. Whether that is weddings or newborns or landscapes or children. Seek out a mentor from someone like minded. Seek out mentors who do different kinds of work and learn to appreciate their art. Get your camera in hand and practice. There is no wrong art. There is only your art. In the world of photography, only the strong survive. Those that know why they want to photograph, what they want to photograph, and those with a strong business plan. Its easy to become overworked and burnt out. Those that know how to maintain balance do well.
I hope this is helpful. I hope that I can offer advice and encouragement to those just starting out, as so many did and do for me. I'm on your team!
--Melissa
