photo by andresr via iStock
The new year is right around the corner and I always love to hear when a friend is thinking about starting photography as a hobby for their new year’s resolution.
As someone who has been in the photography business for decades, I always get asked for tips for new photographers and, to be honest, I frequently can’t think of any on the spot even though I regularly judge newcomers who don’t do certain things or do things that I wouldn’t.
So, I decided to sit down and create a list of photography tips that I would have in mind the next time that a friend asked me for help. These truly are pretty basic tips for photographers, but if you’re interested in learning how to become a better photographer, then you can’t skip over the basics.
Invest in Your Business
photo by Tempura via iStock
This is one of my favorite photography business tips and is likely one of your least favorite to hear.
It is very important that you invest in yourself as a photographer and your business as a whole. This means that you need to pay to attend classes or workshops for things you don’t understand, - maybe it’s Photoshop or maybe it’s bookkeeping - so that these weaknesses don’t trip you up later on down the road when you’re already too busy with clients to attend classes like these.
If you only listen to one of these tips for new photographers, let it be this one. You have to spend money to make money, so spend it on something important.
Don’t Just Shoot Alone
photo by Rawpixel via iStock
A lot of tips for new photographers focus solely on your skills as a photographer. I think this is a huge mistake because I think it is equally as important for you to start networking with other photographers as soon as possible.
Whether you find a group of other beginning photographers in your area that you choose to practice with, or whether you volunteer to be a production assistant for a well-known photographer in your town, it is important for you to stop just shooting alone.
You can learn a lot of skills from other photographers. You can also ask for feedback from other photographers. Sometimes you get too far into your own work and are unable to look at it from an unbiased perspective. During these times, you will be thankful you started networking early on in your career.
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Work as Often as Possible
photo by damircudic via iStock
When I first started my photography business, I definitely worked nonstop, but I don’t think it compares to some of my friends who started their businesses more recently. With the advent of social media, photographers must be prepared to work as much as humanly possible when they are first starting their businesses.
This isn’t one of the more fun tips for new photographers, but you are starting a complete business. You need to do in-person networking, social media networking, traditional marketing and online marketing. You have to make sure you have the right gear and purchase what you don’t have. You need to make sure that you have the proper business licenses and that you have your financials set up.
Honestly, it’s a lot for anyone to take on and I’m always wary when I see someone trying to start a new photography business with just one or two hours of their time a week.
Print Your Photos
This is one of the more enjoyable tips for new photographers on this list because it doesn’t deal with the importance of getting your business in order. It just deals with creativity, or the reason why you decided to start a photography business in the first place!
Just like I think it is important for photographers to network with other photographers in order to get unbiased feedback, I also think it is important for photographers to print their photos in order to get unbiased (or less biased) feedback.
I didn’t list getting blue light reading glasses as one of the tips for new photographers, but I likely should have. You spend so much time staring at your photos on your screen in Photoshop and in Lightroom. When you do so, you get used to seeing mistakes. It sucks, but it’s just true. The more you look at one of your photos with a mistake, the more your eyes become accustomed to that mistake and unless you switch the photo to a different medium you likely will never see it.
That’s exactly why you should print your photos. This allows you to see your photos in a new light, via a different medium, and in a new part of your home. You will automatically see things you haven’t before.
And, if you’re looking for a printing company to print your photos with, then you should look into working with ArtBeat Studios.
This company makes high-end metal, canvas, and acrylic prints. I find that I enjoy looking at my own photography the most when I print it on metal, because it helps the colors in my photos to really stand out. But, both metal and acrylic prints are a beautiful way to display your photography around your house. And, you should display your photography around your home because it’s something you’re proud of.
I made the mistake of purchasing my prints from a low-grade printing company when I first started photography and I’m honestly sorry it took me so long to see the benefits of working with a company like ArtBeat Studios.
If you are printing your images with a company that doesn’t care about an ink smudge or color matching, then you aren’t actually able to judge your true images and learn what you do and don’t like about them.