Each person has a desire to remember the best moments of his life so that he can look through a photo album and recall himself or tell friends, children and grandchildren about his life. Therefore, despite the availability of affordable means for self-shooting, people often turn to professionals.
After spending several decades in the office, periodically suffering from daily routine, I wondered if it was so difficult to become a good photographer without a special education.
What does a beginner need to know, what qualities should he have?
- Firstly, the photographer must undoubtedly be a psychologist to some extent, because working with a living person is a sensitive process and requires careful attention and anticipation of possible nuances in communicating with a client.
- To feel how a person wants to capture himself, to show him from the best side, to see a suitable background for the frame - here the qualities of an artist are already needed.
- Constant communication with people implies the presence of diplomatic qualities. People are often annoyed and inconsistent. This should be prepared in advance.
- Punctuality and responsibility are needed in all areas of our lives, but they are mandatory for the photographer, because many important events are pre-planned, and even a slight delay can ruin the holiday for clients, and this negatively affects their further reputation.
- And, of course, the speed of reaction is an indispensable quality of a portraitist. It is very difficult to catch moments of joy, happiness, surprise, but if it succeeds, then such shots will delight people captured on them for many years.
What types of services can I offer clients?
- Shooting all kinds of celebrations, such as weddings, birthdays, corporate parties, holidays.
- Create portraits.
- Children are a separate category for filming, however, as are pets.
- Undoubtedly family photo albums, when you can start with capturing a romantic relationship, and continue with a wedding, the birth of children and grandchildren ...
- Commercial photography, whether it’s a portfolio for models or advertising a business.
Where to begin?
Having thought it over carefully, I decided that I could completely try myself in this creative activity, since the mirrorless camera of good quality donated by my friends was in the closet.
To begin with, I enrolled in a photo school that was not far from home. After completing the course, I was very pleased with the technical skills and advice on starting creative work.
To analyze demand, I scrolled through many sites for photographers, registering on the most popular. Then, having "looked" at the most liked ideas, perspectives and plots, I began to experiment on parents, nephews and our pets. So the first experience and the first creative personnel appeared.
First experience
Thinking about where to find potential customers, I always had a camera with me. At the next cat show, which I always visited with pleasure, I made a lot of wonderful shots with mustachioed, fluffy and not very. Taking the contacts from the owners, I sent them the most impressive portraits.
I liked the work and, after a while, I was invited to shoot a hotel advertisement for cats. The process was fascinating and creative, besides it brought the first income to my piggy bank. It turned out that working with animals is very interesting, especially when you see the similarity of pets with their owners, you are touched by tenderness and love on both sides.
Advertising was shown on the local channel and in the magazine for pet owners, and my contact details appeared there. In addition, on the set, I met the owners of purebred cat nurseries and the organizers of thematic exhibitions.
In less than a month, I was already filming a horse show with a fascinating show.
The subtleties of the work of an animal photographer
Four-legged models are very funny and charming when you find them in a good mood. However, as among people, there are very moody specimens. Moreover, oddly enough this sounds, they are very "busy". Especially cats. As soon as the background and the light are on, they have a lot of things to do and worries: urgently need to wash the tail or ear, check if the dove is sitting on the railing of the balcony, if the water is fresh in the bowl. Therefore, when working with this "audience" it is worth stocking up with enormous patience. It is even possible that this type of creativity is not suitable for many. Without real love for animals, endurance and nerves may not be enough elementary.
Gaining experience working with our smaller brothers, you understand how important it is to be a psychologist, even with them. Horses and dogs, for example, are very fond of praise and goodies, mostly they are very contact and curious. This is very often used by photographers, inviting the "model" to take pictures. Having an apple or a cookie in your pocket can be very helpful.
Cats are absolutely unpredictable! They can pose for hours or allow themselves to be shot only in rare instances, and sometimes they don’t leave their houses at all for any goodies.
But what an amazing photo you get! What impressions and warmth in my soul remain after such hard work!
Photographer and the Internet
Having a fairly large portfolio of works, I decided to put them up for sale on the Internet. Oddly enough, photos are also in demand there. Many firms, magazines, newspapers buy good quality work for advertising and publishing.
However, here's how lucky. Basically, the Internet is better to use to search for potential customers and news about interesting public events and events in the city.
In general, reformulating the well-known motto, we can say that you always need to strive to be in the right place at the right time, and then you will definitely catch your best shot!
Good luck to everyone who goes on the creative path of photographers!