Many people like to believe that photography, just like many other art forms, is a talent one is born with, and not a skill you accumulate. People casually say that you have to be born with an eye for photography to make it as a photographer. However, the truth is, just like any other activity photography is a skill that can be mastered with time and practice.
Practice Practice Practice!
Think of it like a muscle. You need to practice using that muscle and exercise it consistently for it to grow. The more you practice photography the more advanced your skills will become. There will be some basic questions that cross your mind before you start. What type of camera or lens should I use? What do I want to photograph? Let us walk you through the process as a beginner.
What should I photograph?
When you are just starting out you should practice photographing an array of objects, surroundings, and people. As you are only a beginner you need to experiment with different styles before establishing and growing your own personal style. What we recommend is that you carry a camera with you every day, and practice capturing different and unique moments in your daily life. It can be minuscule, like a photograph of your toothbrush in the morning sunlight. Or it can be a little more exciting, like a crowd of people enjoying a block party. After a few days or weeks, you will start to notice yourself being pulled towards a certain style. You can start to build your own personal style and portfolio based on this.
What type of camera or lens should I use?
Although there are so many cameras and lenses out there you can experiment with, as a beginner we recommend you stick to whatever you have at home. This is because depending on the type of photos you intend on taking the type of camera you will need may change. There are different cameras that are better suited for landscape photography while others are better for motion photography, and more. Therefore, before you establish your own personal style it is a good idea to stick to the basic camera you have at home.
If you don’t have a camera at home, don’t fret! You may be surprised to learn that many professional photographers actually use their phones instead of cameras these days. This has become possible thanks to the development of high quality cameras on phones. Some photographs displayed in galleries are even taken on the artist’s phone! In addition, many content creaters online provide their audience with high quality digital content only through their phone camera!
To sum things up, the first step to becoming a photographer is to just start! We hope that this article helped you realize that anyone can be a photographer!