How To Become A Photographer Part I: The Ultimate Checklist To Get You Started

When I decided to become a photographer ten years ago, there weren’t as many options for learning as there are today, but photography is still one of those careers that doesn’t necessarily follow a straight path. So if you’re wondering how to become a photographer – you’re in the right place.

I come from a family of architects, doctors, and engineers, and they all seemed to have a clear path ahead: go to school, graduate, and get a job… pretty straight forward!

But becoming a photographer means, almost certainly, that you will work as a freelancer, self-employed, and carve your own path. This can be scary and overwhelming to some, but for me, is what attracted me the most about the work. I like working my own hours, being my own boss, and making my own rules. But of course, when I was starting out, I had no idea what my work and life would look like, and although I am glad I didn’t follow in anyone’s footsteps, it sure would have been nice to have a bit of a guideline or a checklist to know what I needed to do to get here. 

This is why I thought putting this together would be helpful for someone just starting to think about photography as a career.

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Table of Contents: How To Become A Photographer (Part I)

• A. Commitment to the craft
• B. Gear you need
• C. Where to learn: Youtube vs University/College
• D. The Basics of Photography Checklist
• E. Practice, practice practice

A. Commitment to the craft

I think the most important thing to understand about building a career in photography is that there isn’t one way to do it. However, one thing is for sure: you need to have the skills, and you need to be committed.

Your business won’t exist overnight, and success isn’t as fast and easy as it seems on Instagram. A working photographer understands, amongst other things, that there is a level of compromise that comes with making money through your creativity, and as long as you are willing to work for your clients, not just for your own creative sake, you have a chance in business.

I can’t tell you how many incredible photographers I met, even back in photo school, and how so many of them never became full-time photographers. 

Why, you ask? 

They didnt have the discipline, work ethic, or willingness to “compromise” their art, in order to sell. 

What I am trying to tell you is, just because you love taking photos does not mean you will love doing it as a job. It might turn out to be your favourite hobby, but not something you want to do to pay your bills and make a living. 

For me, I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I would encourage you to experience it for yourself before you decide.

Through the years of building my business I realized that a successful career in photography means at some point, and hopefully mostly and only in the beginning, you will have to shoot some things you don’t like, in order to get better, more experienced, and more selective about the work you do.

So, if you read this far, and are still interested in learning how to become a professional photographer then we’re off to a good start!

B. Gear you need

Although I used to be a gear-head, I have learned through experience that you really don’t need that much equipment to be a great photographer.

It is easy at the beginning to think that buying a bigger and better camera, will make you a better photographer… the truth is, it took me three years to outgrow my first amateur camera, and another two to upgrade to a full-frame more professional body.

I would suggest you start with an affordable crop sensor SLR, or mirrorless, and one or two lenses. A mid-range zoom, and a prime (either a 35mm or a 50mm) to start with. If you have no idea what I’m talking about or want to learn more about beginner gear for photographers, don’t worry, you can start here!

Next-up is software needed for post-production. I would encourage you to get the Adobe Photography Bundle with Lightroom and Photoshop. It might be a while before you learn the ins and outs of post-production, but as soon as you start taking photos, you can start organizing them, and even enhancing them in Lightroom. It’s a good idea to get the software and start learning it as you learn how to use your camera. And if you’re to get going on mastering the ins and outs of Lightroom, check out my Lightroom Masterclass – it’s truly EVERYTHING you need to know about Lightroom IN ONE PLACE.

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C. Where to learn: YouTube vs university/college

Should you spend the money and go to school, or learn your skills online?

What about an online course? 

What if you are self taught and just wanna start making money?

Well, like I said, there are many different approaches, and it all depends on your level of comfort going into a job with the skills you have. 

For me, once I decided I wanted to become a professional photographer, I wanted to learn and make sure I knew all the things I needed to know, in order to confidently charge people money for the work. But I have a lot of fellow photographer friends who are self-taught and have a successful career as well. 

I’ll tell you this:

I went to film school, and during those three years, I taught myself how to shoot photos on a DSLR. But once I knew I wanted to pursue photography professionally, I did a one-year professional photography diploma program, and in all honestly, it wasn’t until that year of school, and a year of working full time in a studio for a fashion brand, that I felt confident enough in my skills and my work was up to a professional standard.

This isn’t to say that I wasn’t doing shoots and even charging for them, but it was a slow build-up of rates, and array or work.

Regardless of what way you chose to learn, one thing is for sure: YOU SHOULD BE CONSTANTLY LEARNING, AND LEARNING A LOT.

Nowadays there are so many learning options online from free information on Youtube to professional courses (like my Lightroom Masterclass!).

The one thing you need to do is make sure there are no gaps in your learning because your knowledge and expertise must match up to what you are selling and eventually reach that professional level. You can’t charge professional rates if you aren’t a pro. However, a pro isn’t just made out of school.

Being a professional photographer is a mix of three things:

1. Experience
2. Creativity
3. Professional business etiquette

If you’re thinking, well how will I know if there are gaps in my learning, no worries I’ve got you covered!

I made a list of the basics that every photographer must know and master below.

D. The Basics of Photography Checklist:

• What is exposure and how to control it
• What is shutter speed, how to control it in-camera, and how it affects your image
• What is aperture, F stops, how they modify your image and proper settings for focus control
• What is ISO, how it affects the quality of your image, and how to use it
• Lenses: different types, focal length, quality, and how they modify the look and feel of your image
• Lighting: quantity, quality, direction, and type of lighting (natural light, studio lights, and flash photography)
• Focusing: how to properly use autofocus and make sure your images are sharp
• Framing: the rule of thirds and other principles
• Composition and angle: how to use the space and your tools to turn a three-dimensional situation, into a flat image that still tells a story and has depth
• Posing: how to direct models, actors, and non-performers, plus how to pose families, couples, and co-workers
• Color: how to use rules of color to create pleasing images
• Technical: the difference between camera types, sensor sizes, resolution, raw images, and proper workflow from shooting to editing.
• Post-production: importing, editing, and exporting your images with Lightroom, and advanced editing with photoshop.

E. Practice, practice, practice!

The best way to get good at photography is by simply taking photos.

If you are just starting out, you should spend hours shooting for fun, shooting for friends, learning skills, and shooting everything you can all the time.

Here are some ideas and ways for you to get out there and practice:

• Assist a photographer with more experience than you
• Shoot your family events for fun, until you get better and better
• Rent an hour at your local studio, get a friend to model, and practice lighting and posing (There is no shame in learning as you go, and this can be a great way to get your first gigs working in exchange for experience, networking, and portfolio building.)
• Go out for a walk and JUST SHOOT anything and everything

I hope you found this post helpful and that you have a better understanding of how to become a photographer, especially when just starting out.

For more resources about how to become a photographer make sure to check out PART II and PART III of this series and check out the FULL GUIDE on How to Become a Photographer with over 70 pages of insider info!

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