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“Wow! You’re as good as a professional!” Have you heard that lately? Sure you have. You are an active photographer, constantly honing your craft. So of course your images are good.
This may have caused you to wonder if it might not be a good idea to venture into the world of paid photography. You don’t have to jump into it full throttle. In fact, when considering how to become a professional photographer, in many cases it probably wouldn’t be smart to quit your day job. Not at first.
A huge reason for that advice is because it seems that everyone is a photographer now. In other words, why should someone pay for your photography when they have the bestest new smartphone or just got their own entry-level DSLR or mirrorless?
Well, my excellent photographer friends, that brings me to the very first most important step of how to become a professional photographer.
Be a Good Photographer
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Okay, hear me out. I know you’re already a fantastic photographer. But in learning how to become a professional photographer, it is vital to deeply understand the art and craft of photography.
Think about it this way. We all have that friend that’s good with cars. Maybe it’s you. They can troubleshoot problems, do minor repairs. But, in order to open up an auto mechanic garage, they would need to know so much more than basic stuff or that one complicated thing they repaired.
Same with being a professional photographer. When pondering the thought of what qualifications do you need to become a photographer, take a good look at your current qualifications and skills. A professional photography course can be a great resource for learning how to become a professional photographer.
Recommended Photography Business Reading:
Get Some Education and Training
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You don’t want to be one of those always learning but never doing types, but extra instruction is often beneficial. Some of the best instructions around can be accessed for free on YouTube.
There are also free or low cost classes on websites such as Udemy or SkillShare that host structured classes on how to become a professional photographer and on various different aspects of the art and processes in photography..
This second step is closely related to my first step of how to become a professional photographer. The extra training and education will either enhance your skills or perhaps allow you to develop new skills.
When wondering how to become a photographer without a degree, take note of how few times in the past you hired a photographer based on a college degree. You most likely hired them on the basis of the quality of their work.
So, home learning is a valid method for increasing our set of skills. Not that an actual degree isn’t worthwhile. They very much are, especially for certain types of imaging careers. But when deciding how to become a photographer from home, there are quite a few options available for us.
If you want to examine online degree programs for photographic arts, check The New York Institute of Photography and The Photography Institute. Many of your local colleges may offer online learning also, either as a degree program or as continuing learning.
Learn More:
Develop a Niche
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An important step in how to become a professional photographer that is sometimes discounted is to find what you’re best at or at least better at and concentrate on that. This step is closely related to brand building, another step in how to become a professional photographer that I will discuss a little later.
What is a niche in photography and how does this help you with how to become a professional photographer?
A niche in marketing is a specific area which has its own particular requirements, customers, and products. In photography, that would be defined further by types or styles of photography and whether you are selling a photography service or actual photographs.
As examples, perhaps you have an affinity or interest in people photography. This could indicate that portraiture could be the niche you should further advance and make flourish. An alternative could be wedding photography or other event photography.
I tend to divide wedding photography apart as a particular niche disconnected from other forms of event photography. Because of the specialized requirements involved with documenting that extremely important milestone in people’s lives.
Another example of how to become a professional photographer by finding and growing your niche is that you notice your landscape images get lots of positive attention. A business model offering scenic images worthy of the label Fine Art Photography could be a money making endeavor for you.
Create a Brand
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Creating a brand is the next step for how to become a professional photographer. Your brand is what will differentiate your photography or photographic services from all of the other photographers out there. It’s how you stand out and get hired.
When you are thirsty for a soda, do you reach for your favorite brand name or will you take whatever is closest on the supermarket shelf? If you have a specific taste, you will gravitate to a particular brand.
The same holds true in this business. Whether becoming a freelance photographer or engaging in another style of professional photography, creating a brand is vital for returning business or to take full advantage of possible referrals.
Your brand flows naturally from finding your photographic niche. A great portfolio or website will showcase your brand, a step some list independently for how to become a professional photographer.
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A website is a huge part of your brand, an important tool for modern photographers. Only your absolutely best images should be included in your business website. If you have a social media account that you post to, you might consider an independent account solely for business imagery. That way your brand is not diluted by pics of your lunch or Aunt Judy.
Unless your brand is a food photographer or family portraiture, I guess. Even at that, make an honest effort to cull down your business displayed images to only your finest work.
Ask for some critique from people who know photography and art. Don’t buy into too much of the extremely negative talk that some online sources may offer. There are some jerks out there, so try to find a forum that is both honest and honorable.
Get some tips on how to find paid photography work in the video above by The Art of Photography.
And to get an idea of what NOT to do as you start your photography business, check out the video above by Jared Polin.
Learn More:
Hire on as a Helper
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An optional step for learning how to become a professional photographer is to find a temporary job with a professional photographer or photography firm.
This isn’t a necessary step but some have found it helpful to work with an existing (and hopefully very busy) pro photography business. It may help answer some questions you have concerning pro photo work in your local area.
One of the most asked questions I get asked by aspiring pro photographers is how much to charge. The answer to that question is not all that simple. So many variables go into the equation of professional photographer prices.
What a wedding photographer charges in San Francisco may not have relevance to how much to charge in Omaha. What a fine art print sells for in an NYC art show won’t affect the price you get for your giclee at the local fair. It’s all relative.
Even selling online, prices can vary wildly from site to site, style to style, and photographer to photographer. Being involved in a business similar to what you want to do may help you figure all that out for your own work. It will also be helpful for learning some of the other ins and outs of photography business operation.
Have a Business Plan
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One of the most important considerations of how to become a professional photographer is to have a real and actionable business plan.
I’ve seen things go both ways. I have known pretty good photographers that were great businessmen who succeeded beyond all of my expectations, and I have also seen amazingly good photographers whose businesses did not succeed.
A photography business is a business. You want your business to make money, make profit. Doesn’t matter if you are hoping to be a part time freelancer or a full time professional photography studio. If the business doesn’t make money, it isn’t likely to survive.
Fortunately, there are fine resources that give advice and other assistance for setting up your own small business. In the USA, the Small Business Administration offers free business counseling and other helpful tools such as strategic business planning and financial aid.
Here are some helpful thoughts for how to become a professional photographer or starting any small business. This video by Trishonna dives deep into the basic steps you need to take to start a business:
And this video by Young Entrepreneur’s Forum shows you how to write an effective business plan:
Just Do It
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Now that you know some of the best hints for how to become a professional photographer, the only thing standing in the way of your new business is the question of when to start.
What is your answer? It’s a little complicated. You might start slow, freelance and part time, or you could jump into full time with both feet.
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Whichever way you choose to start, be sure of your game plan, make sure you are comfortable with your skill level, and strive to make your new business a real success. Professional photography is an amazing business. I love it myself, couldn’t imagine any other career. I hope you have as much fun doing it as I do.
Learn More:
- 5 Simple Tips to Jump-Start Your Photography Business
- Learn How to Make More Money With These Photography Business Tips