Begining Photographer?

Question

I'm 17 and all my life I've wanted to be a photographer, but we never have money so I can get a camera (I have a job). How do I begin my quest so be a professional photographer so I can work with the models and stars of the world?

Answer 1

Well, first you need a camera. Then you can take courses at a school (college, university) to learn about all the technical stuff. Or you can get lots of books and read up and practice a lot. See what works for you, and how to operate your camera to the best results. I'm teaching myself currently.

You also need to find something that you do pretty well... some people take better shots of buildings/places... and some take better shots of people or objects.

Personally, I take better macro shots and landscape shots than I do people and buildings. Again, it all goes back to practice, and see what you get the best results with. That could be what you will specialize in.

Once you have started the process of taking the pictures, you will want to print the best ones up and start making a portfolio. Enter some local "entry level" photography contests. Put some of your work into a local fair... just get your images out there so people know your work and begin to know who you are.

After that...... I'm not sure. I'm just beginning myself, so this is as far as I've researched. I know there are magazines that are always looking for more images... some will pay you, and you may have to pay some with your entry - so be careful. There are also contests... both online, and through mail... be very careful with these as well.... as there are a LOT of dis-honest "contests" that will just take your stuff and not give you credit or money for it.

Also, get some software for editing your images before you send them out. Put your name and email address on anything you put online to deter theft. (try to get the colors just a little different than the place you are putting it.... just so it's noticable enough to deter a theif, but not so it's destracting from the picture. Also try to get it close to the main subject, so it's hard to crop it out.... some people will do that to it.)

Good luck. It can be hard to get started. And it can be discouraging once you have started, but seem to be getting no-place. But keep at it, if you really want to do this.

Answer 2

So here is a young girl who has never had a camera but wants to be a photographer for high-fashion and the movie world.
Nothing like setting your sights high as possible.
1: Get any digital camera. At this stage, the cheap and cheerful will do.
2: Since you are into 'personalities', shoot your friends, shoot your neighbours - shoot anybody!
3: I assume that you have a computer where you can edit everything. Go to www.photofiltre.net and download their free edit programme. Use it and use it.
4: When and where affordable, either transfer your very best onto a CD or, better still, regardless of the cost of ink and paper, make large high-quality prints and put together a hard-copy portfolio. START NOW.
5: Even if it means borrowing books from a library, get photo books and see what the very best have done. LOOK HARD and really see what the best have done. Look at high-fashion magazines - Elle? - and examine the model shots there. Imitate them with your girlfriends. It will be fun and you will learn by doing it.
6: Ask questions of those whose work you respect. Most photographers WILL help if they have the time. Offer a local studio your time (intern-style) free of charge for a while.
Come back when you have some shots to show?
Here's a very bad one of mine, the pose copied from a photo in a magazine but the model is mine:
http://www.eyefetch.com/image.aspx?ID=322872

Once you access that one, you could wind through all 600-plus stored there and one or two might inspire you? Try to ignore the bad shots :)

Answer 3

I certainly admire your setting such a lofty goal. Achieving it will require hard work and dedication.

If there are any photography courses available locally you should enroll in them as soon as you can. A really good course will require you to use a manual 35mm film camera. You will learn about f-stops and shutter speed and composition and light and ISO. You'll learn to develop and print your images.

If there are no photography courses available in your area you should still buy a 35mm film camera. The Pentax K1000 is considered the best student camera*. You should find several on ebay**. Next, buy a copy of "Object & Image: An Introduction To Photography, Third Edition" by George M. Craven and a copy of "How To Select and Use Pentax SLR Cameras" by Carl Shipman.

With these 2 books you can learn a lot about photography. Its harder to self-teach but it can be done.

Using a film camera will also teach you to work slowly and thoughtfully. You'll learn how to "read" a scene and capture it the way you saw it. My major complaint about digital photography is it tends to, IMO, encourage what I call the "machine gun" approach to photography: take 300 exposures and hope 10 or 20 are worth keeping or spend hours at the computer trying to make a mediocre image into an average one with an editing program.

Call every professional photographer in your area and ask if they could use an unpaid assistant. Tell them your goals. You can learn a lot from watching them and following their instructions. You'll also have someone to look at your efforts and critique them. Watch and listen and only ask questions if you don't understand the instructions or when your mentor isn't working. You'll also learn that the business of photography is 10% photography and 90% business - taxes, insurance, getting work, delivering work, etc.

You should also check out The New York Institute of Photography (nyip.com). They offer correspondence courses and have been in business since 1910 so they're reputable.

Your goals are attainable IF you are dedicated and willing to work hard to attain them.

* If you buy the K1000 and 2 or 3 lenses for it you can use them on any of the Pentax DSLR cameras such as the K100D Super or K10D. They'll be manual focus but since you're already used to that it won't be a problem. Pentax has their Image Stabilization in the camera body so your older lenses can benefit from it.

Always remember that its the photographer who makes great images, not the brand of camera. All cameras are just dumb boxes incapable of doing anything until you press the shutter release. Your knowledge of exposure, lighting and composition are what matters. If you understand those 3 things you can take professional photographs with your Pentax K1000. If you don't understand them you'll take the same lousy images with the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III or the Hasselblad H3D as you take with your Pentax K1000.

Its been said that "Automatic is fine 95% of the time. The other 5% are in magazines." You want to be in that 5%.

** If you decide to buy a K1000 on ebay, please feel free to email me the listing and I'll check it out for you. Most sellers on ebay are honest but some aren't.

Answer 4

Don't waste your time with film. It will be too costly. Get a digital camera. Successful photographers today use digital equipment with the lastest software programs such as photoshop and HDR programs like Photomatix. You for sure need to learn good composition and lighting techniques but I think learning that through film is a waste of time. The world had evolved and digital allows for the machine gun approach to photography. Need to get out of the past.

Answer 5

Try the canon EOS rebel xti for starters get the kit lens and buy a bigger lens since you want to be a proffesional photographer i'd get a couple lens with an aperture of around 2.8,

You could even try the canon 40d which would cost around 1,000 dollars. for the camera alone. I wouldnt go any bigger than that if i were you but thats me.

I'd stick with either canon or Nikon since they have a ton of lenses all ready made for you to use. so you have a lot of choices