How To start your photography journey.
AN INTRODUCTION:
It all begins with an idea. Creating ‘captured by bell’ seemed so impossible, but with just over a year of dreaming and doing the business is now born and growing. i am by no means an expert on business and have never formally studied the topic. this is just a place to share from personal Experience what i have learned on the journey so far!
There are many Components that go into becoming a photographer and i will do my best to walk you through each one in detail. but at the chore of the pursuit of any art form must lie a deep love and hunger for what you do. without this foundation you will not succeed, for what we get Acknowledged for in public is a direct result of what we do in private. on our days off. when no ones watching. you will only work on something in this way if you simply cannot live without it.
THE PROCESS:
You must first start by defining which avenue you are drawn to in the Industry. of course you can do this further down the track if you like but i think finding Specificity in the early stages only strengthens and simplifies the path from then on. do some research into the different styles and find which pulls you in the most. perhaps you have already decided this much, in which case journey has already begun.
The best way to learn photography is in two parts-
assist and work with as many photographers as you can. work along side them, absorb their knowledge and techniques.
get yourself a kit together (i’ll go into this in a moment) and start shooting as much as possible. regardless of the subject matter you’re Pursuing, just set up as many test shoots possible. you’ll never learn more than in the act of simply doing the thing!
Your photography kit-
A pro level camera (cannon or nikon) Gumtree and ebay has some second hand options for geat prices.*
A great place to start Lens wise is with either a 70-200mm or 24-70mm. *
camera tether cord if you want to shoot straight to the Computer (this is Recommended).
Alternatively an sD card will work if you want to work untethered.*
laptop or iMac.*
two lights, again you don’t have spend big there’s some great second hand stuff you can find online.*
depending on the lights you get, you may need a flash trigger to Connect the camera to the lights.
Equipment Kit including; Gaffa tape, at least 2 clamps, Micro Fibre cloths, Grey card (These can be quite pricey, so they are ideal but not essential) and a hard drive to back up your Work.
roll of trace paper (this is a cheap and easy way to Achieve light diffusion without spending big on a soft box).*
strip light diffuser and or soft box (Should you have a little extra to spend).
2x C-stands.
2x Sand bags.
‘capture one’ is the Industry standard of photography software to use.*
this is a list to achieve an Almost Professional set up so don’t worry if you cant get it all straight away. i’ve marked with this symbol * all the items that are Essentials if you’re only able to get the basics.
TOP 5 TIPS TO REMEMBER:
Be patient with your progress & trust the process.
- like anything creative, photography is an ever Evolving journey. accept the fact you wont be ‘perfect’ straight away and focus on capturing the unique way you see the world.
don’t freak out when things aren’t going as planned.
- this has been one of the Hardest concepts for me to wrap my head around and in the beginning i Definitely Found it hard to Remain calm. However i now understand that you can only arrive at the result you’re looking for after first ticking off the things you’re not. it’s a process of elimination and all part of the fun. hear this concept explained more in ‘photography tips part 2’ below.
whether you’re being paid or not, shoot as much as you can.
- booking test shoots with people is a pressure free way to try out new things and stay in practice. creative Collaborations allow us to keep inspired and driving forward the Momentum in our careers. objects in motion stay in motion, Remember that!
be prepared.
- The more you can plan for problems and have Solutions in place, the more relaxed you’ll be on the day! so have back ups of everything with you e.g. SD cards, batteries, tether chord etc. that Way you can just focus on the subject and job at hand.
Believe in yourself and back your Ability.
- the number one thing your clients want to feel is at ease in your presence and confident in the product & Experience. so it’s imperative you Believe in Yourself as much as they do in you. most of the time we are the only thing standing in our way, So move aside and allow your best self to shine through. you’ve worked hard to be there, have fun!
Click Image To Watch Photography Tips Part 1.
Click Image to Watch Photography Tips Part 2.
click here to watch photography tips part 3.