How to Become a Photographer: The Basics

Whether you are just learning to become a photographer or have been a photographer for many years, the basics of photography are important to keep in mind. Becoming a professional photographer requires both creative talent and technical knowledge. Understanding the basics will help you grasp the technical aspects of photography and allow you to focus more on creative composition.http://www.digitalphotographybasics.com/

The income of a professional photographer varies depending on the type of photography, the location, and the concentration of photographers in any given area. The annual income of a photographer ranges between $17,120 - 62,340 with an average hourly wage of $17.68.http://bls.gov/oes/2009/may/oes274021.htm

How to Become a Photographer: The Basics

Save Cancel

URL | Web Search

Select a video

How To Become A Photographer: The B...

source: www.youtube.com

Media maker Josh Fuente discusses the basic steps to become a professional photographer. Purchasing the right equipment, becoming familiar with the camera functions and the types of photographs you enjoy taking will help determine the specific field of professional photography you should enter.

Step 1: Identify What Type of Photographer You Want to Be

There are many different types of photography and the first step to become a good photographer is to identify which type you want to focus on. There are no limitations on what you can photograph, but to become a good photographer you must focus on one area at a time and learn the intricate details of each.

Photojournalist

A photojournalist is dedicated to capturing life in general but especially focuses on moments considered relevant news or significant events in history. Photojournalists learn how to capture and edit photographs for use in newspapers, magazines and online.http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majors_careers/profiles/majors/09.0404.html

Commercial and Industrial Photographer

Commercial and industrial photographers in general consumer fields such as wedding photography, advertising and editorial/stock photography. They utilize advanced editing techniques to create more finished products with their photographs.http://seattlecentral.edu/programs/photography/

Portrait Photographer

The portrait photographer is the more traditional art of photography that involves planned sessions with individuals or groups to capture a professional photograph. These photographers will often use studio equipment to maximize photograph quality.http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips/portrait-photography-tips/

Step 2: Become Technically Proficient

No matter what type of photographer you decide to be, you need to understand the basic concepts of photography in order to proceed. The main areas of photography you will need to review are purchasing a camera, lenses, light exposure, aperture, shutter speed and meter.http://www.digitalphotographybasics.com/

Purchasing a Camera

The most important aspect of photography is choosing a camera that fits your needs. You want a camera that can provide you with all the functions and has the features you need for your style of photography. The camera you purchase will depend on the following areas of photography basics.

Lenses

Cameras use lenses to direct light to film or digital capturing sensor. The size and type of lens determines what information (light) arrives at the film or sensor and the intensity of this information or how much light the lens can "focus." So, long lenses will minimize the angle of the photograph and minimize the field. Shorter lenses maximize the angle and widen the field. The type of photography you specialize in will help you choose the appropriate lenses.

Light Exposure

The lens helps to limit the amount of light that enters the camera. Too much light exposure will cause images in your photographs to be bright white (over exposure). Too little light will cause images in your photographs to be dark (under exposure). These problems can be resolved by using the camera's aperture and shutter speed or creating artificial light with a flash and studio equipment. Learning how to get a correct exposure level will help you avoid distorted image.

Aperture

The aperture is a device at the top of a lens that opens and closes to let in light. The size of the aperture opening determines the amount of light let in to the camera. Aperture settings are measured in terms of a ratio of focal length to focal width.

Shutter Speed

The shutter is a small flap at the front of the lens that opens and closes for a set amount of time. The longer the shutter is open, the more light will enter. Even if your aperture setting is set very low, a low shutter speed (open for a longer time) will cause over exposure of the photograph. Learning how to get correct shutter speed will help you create more brilliant photographs.

Step 3: Practice Taking Photographs

Once you understand how to operate your camera and adjust the various settings to meet your photography needs, its time to practice taking photographs. Depending on the environment you are in, associated colors and natural light available, you may need to adjust your settings or change the shot accordingly.

The benefits of digital photography are many, but this technology is especially beneficial for a beginning photographer since there is no film required. As long as you have sufficient storage in your camera, you can take hundreds, if not thousands of photographs before you need to clear the memory. This allows you to take many photographs of the same object until you get the right photo. Get out there and practice!

Step 4: Showcase Your Work

Find a place on the internet where you can showcase your work. Since photography is a visual art, having samples of your photographs for your clients to view is important when trying to generate new customers or a buzz about your services. There are many websites that will host photographs for free and allow you to share or you can have a website designed especially for your business where you can showcase your photographs alone.

More Photography How Tos on Mahalo

Check out these other helpful How Tos about photography on Mahalo