Want to be the Next Photography Sensation? Here's 4 Tips to Get You Started!
Since the arrival of Instagram, which essentially allows everyone to dabble in the wonderful world of creating breathtaking photographs, there has been an incredible surge in photographer wannabes.
Don’t worry, we’re not saying this like a bad thing. We think it's amazing. Capturing those glorious, real-life moments and helping them last forever is something that needs to be championed, celebrated and cherished.
But picking up a camera, turning it into a career and becoming the next David Bailey, Sally Mann, Andy Warhol, Anne Geddes or Callum Toy is no easy feat. It takes practice. Tons of it.
However, to help you get going and start your life behind the lens, we have come up with few tips that we believe to be invaluable. Hopefully they will help and, who knows, maybe we’ll see your name in small print and at the bottom right of a photo soon enough.
Buy A Camera That Meets Your Skill
There is no need to go and splash four months worth of paychecks on a top of the range camera straight away. In fact, we would urge against this. Something like the Nikon 1 J5, which has done away with internal mirrors, is a great place to start. That’s because it helps you produce stunning photos while you get to grips with the theory side of this journey. Photography can be overwhelming, so easing yourself in with a piece of hardware that assists with auto focus, image-generating and view-finding could be worth its weight in diamonds.
Never Ignore The Need For A Tripod
Tripods don’t have to be expensive, but they can take your photography to the next level. Shaky hands are a thing. We’re not all as calm and collected as Angelina Jolie appears to be, which is where a tripod can assist you no end. If nothing else, the results you see will boost your own levels of pride and satisfaction and, well, confidence goes a long way in this game. Once you have got the hang of the basics, start playing around with the different functions and see how they affect the end results too.
Never Leave Your Camera Behind
The best chances come when you least expect it, which is exactly why you need to see your camera as an extension of you. It is a gorgeous limb that you have chosen to attach to yourself. So get yourself a tidy little camera bag, make sure your tripod is telescopic and keep your eye open for those opportunities you’ll kick yourself for snapping. Of course, if you’re heading somewhere you can’t take a camera - for whatever mind-boggling reason - use your phone to create a reminder, then head back there as soon as you can.
Carry A Notebook As Well
Another tip every passionate photographer will give you is the importance of a notebook. In the same way an author carries a pen and a piece of paper to note any ideas they have (which always come at the most bizarre of times), a photographer should make a note of the shots they want to get. The subject, lighting, time of the day, location, weather; just about any detail you can think of needs to be added. A shot-list will become your best friend while you get to grips with the processes involved.
Other than that, make sure you have fun and make your rehearse. There will be days where you are disheartened and photographs that make you question your passion; just shoot through these moments. It doesn’t matter if it takes three photographs to get back on track, or you use four films, keep fighting.
This is a contributed article written for WhimMagazine.com