Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Requirements Of Becoming A Professional Photographer

By Charles Murray


Purchasing equipment, investing in research and planning, obtaining experience, and having an open attitude are requirements of becoming a professional wedding photographer. Both young students and adults can follow some basic steps to achieving their dreams of becoming wedding photographers.

Finding equipment that will produce quality pictures is important, but the new photographer must also learn as much as possible about the capabilities and settings of the camera. While the camera is obviously needed, amateurs should not forget about the importance of quality lenses. Lenses will generally outlive the life of a camera, thus making an investment in lenses an important purchase. New photographers should research and read articles and product reviews before purchasing lenses and cameras. They should also try to determine exactly what type of wedding photography is their interest before making purchases. Investing this time and making these efforts will pay off in the long run. After purchasing the photography equipment, it is valuable to spend a lot of time practicing with the camera and fully discovering the capabilities and limitations of the pieces. Photographers need to be able to adjust their equipment to be effective as conditions change, such as lighting or weather for outdoor photography.

Wedding photographers need to build solid foundation of not only portfolios, but knowledge. This can be done through careful research and planning. Young students can often have access to high school courses on photography. While they might not specifically study wedding photography, the general knowledge obtained is just as valuable. Photography workshops, classes and courses, and opportunities to speak with and learn from local photographers can be found through many community education offerings. Some towns and cities will host amateur photography exhibits where average hobbyists can be connected with professionals in their areas and gain mentors. Libraries and book stores are other great sources of information pertinent to learning more about becoming a wedding photographer. Exposure, composition, lighting effects, and camera settings can be studied via books before even purchasing or using a camera. Beginning photographers should also not rely on computer software to produce quality pictures, but should instead learn how to take pictures that of high standards and simply highlighted through the use of technology.

After researching and purchasing equipment and studying the craft, beginning photographers should seek ways to gain experience and in the photography field. Students can volunteer to be school or club photographers and have access to school equipment. Others might be able to find opportunities to do free-lance photography work for local newspapers or non-profit groups. These will usually not be paying jobs, but the experience and exposure is a commodity that will make a photographer more successful. Sometimes established wedding photographers are willing to mentor beginners and trade the duties of an assistant for providing tips and techniques to the new photographer.

As the new wedding photographer works through this process of building a solid foundation, it is important to be able to learn from mistakes and find ways to improve future pictures. Discovering what type of wedding photographer he or she would like to be for an amateur photographer, perhaps either classic or contemporary, as well as developing a personal and signature style. Professional wedding photographers need to have built solid foundations on which their passion for the work can flourish and grow.




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