Getting started as a newbie professional photographer is incredibly exciting, but it also comes with a bunch of challenges.
There are a number of incredibly important elements to starting out that an aspiring photographer needs to deal with, and all too often one (or all!) of them falls by the wayside.
Luckily there are plenty of resources for photographers out there to offer support and guidance. So finding the right career path as a professional photographer doesn’t have to be daunting.
However, before setting off on the road to superstardom, there are a few things that you just can’t do without. The building blocks of your business and the basics that will make and break your first steps as a professional photographer.
Read on, and discover the four most important things you need to get started as an aspiring photographer.
1. Website and Portfolio
As a photographer, your website is your shop window and your portfolio is your best marketing tool. Before you take your first photos you need to set up a great-looking website and populate your portfolio with your best work. As a beginner, you will obviously have limited examples of what you can do. You should always be optimizing and improving your website and portfolio, but getting started without either is a terrible idea.
2. Image Hosting
Once you start taking photos you are going to need somewhere to store them! Online picture hosting services like ImageCoast is the ultimate way to store your photography safely and securely. In addition to providing instant access wherever and whenever you need it.
3. A Decent Camera
Hopefully this is something you already have (!) but if you’ve been muddling along with an old model then you are probably due for an upgrade! If you want to make a career as a professional photographer you will need top-of-the-range kit, so get the best camera you can afford. It is your livelihood, after all, so worth investing in.
4. A Solid Social Media Presence
Once everything else is in place you can begin to think about how to engage with potential clients and customers, and the best way to do this is through social media. Link to your portfolio or your hosted images online, and show off your work to the world!