How do I become a professional photographer?
This is a question that I often get asked and I receive many emails each
month on this specific question from college and school students, as well as
from amateurs wanting to make a living from their hobby.
I honestly do want to help but I am unable to respond to each one
personally, so I have a written about my own my humble beginnings and offer some
advice below - I hope it helps. Remember, this is just one mans opinion. Get as
many opinions as you can from other photographers, and formulate your own
approach. Don't mimic, set your own path and be original.
How did I get started?
I am totally self taught - I bought my first SLR at age 12 - I loved
sports, fast cars and pretty girls. Well there weren't many fast cars where I
lived so I focused on pretty girls and school sports. It was easy to start
photographing my high school sports teams, and I had my first sports photo
published at age 13 in a local newspaper. Plucking up the courage to ask a girl
to model for me was a lot harder, and it took me some time to eventually
convince a girl to pose nude for me, consequently I only had my first centerfold
published at age 17.
I never looked back and have had over 5,000 photos published in a variety
of magazines world wide covering subjects from nudes, glamour, sport, fashion,
travel, automotive and others.
I still only photograph subject matter that I like. I turn down
assignment after assignment for stuff that bores me.
Why did I get into Photography?
I just love taking photos. I have been doing it for over 30 years and
still love it. Doing the thing you love and being paid for it, well now there's
a concept! I still only photograph the subjects that inspire me to be creative
with the camera. If I feel I am just snapping away, then I need to move onto
something else.
Who had the most influence in your photographic
career?
Surprisingly my high school English teacher, Lawrence Bam, had the most
influence on my photographic career. He had such a passion for the language that
he managed to excite me about writing and I started to care about the way my
words appeared on paper. At the time I was an aspiring photographer and he
taught me the value of writing my own stories, captions, headers, leaders etc.
and this more than anything else helped me sell my photos (see...... Why do you
write your own articles?)
In terms of photographers, the Playboy greats like Ken Marcus, Mario
Casilli, George Plimpton, Richard Fegley, and Pompeo Posar were a big influence.
I wanted to be photographing beautiful models just like them!
What advice do you have for me?
My advice to someone starting out is to take $1000 and buy yourself a
$100 camera with a standard lens and spend $900 on film and processing. (These
days the digital medium messes with these numbers but you get the idea). Now
take hundreds and hundreds of photos and show them around - invite criticism -
develop a thick skin - not everyone will like your photos as much as you
do.
Listen to what they like and don't like. Don't get discouraged. Learn
form their criticism. Develop your own style. Photography is about composition,
subject, lighting, technical competence, etc. It is not about equipment. Yes
equipment helps, but a creative and imaginative person with a cheap camera will
always outclass an uninspired photographer with the very best
equipment.
If you are young and can get by without much money, an internship working
for a professional photographer can really give you an insight into both the
creative side as well as the business side of photography. I personally didn't
do this, but many of my colleagues feel that it was these experiences that gave
them the confidence to go out on their own. Personally I have never lacked for
confidence and I don't mind much whether people like my work or not. As long as
my work is good enough to satisfy my own level of self respect and keeps me
getting hired, that's all I need.
Did you serve an Internship with a Professional
Photographer?
No, I did not serve an internship with a professional photographer. I was
already too busy pursuing my other business ventures. But I would certainly
recommend interning for a professional photographer if you have one willing to
take you on. Professional photographers often utilize interns as assistant
photographers, and while the pay might be meager or non-existent, and the job
anything but glamorous, if you have your eyes and ears open you will learn more
about the science, art and business of photography in one year with a
professional than you will learn in a lifetime of college and libraries.
Some professional photographers are willing to share, in fact they will
take pride in teaching you the inside scoop of what makes them great. Others on
the other hand are insecure and guard their profession and secrets very closely.
If you find yourself working for the latter kind - get out as soon as you can.
For him you are nothing but cheap labor and he will not want you to succeed on
your own. Find the type of photographer who loves his craft, is proud of it and
in totally secure in himself. He will be more than willing to show you how thing
work and encourage you to pursue your own direction.
How do I become an intern for Professional
Photographer?
Becoming an intern or an assistant to a professional photographer is
really easy. Contact him by phone or email. Send him your images. Introduce
yourself to him or her. Be persistent. Show him that you are serious - serious
about becoming an intern and serious about succeeding in the business of
photography. Every day I receive emails from several young photographers
wanting to intern for me, or be my assistant, be my 2nd shooter etc. 99% of them
do nothing after that 1st email - no follow up emails no calls, no nothing!
Those that bug me and hound me to death certainly get my attention. I am always
looking for the right attitude and high energy first, and secondly I am looking
for talent. Because all the talent in the world means nothing to me if the
photographer isn't energetic and doesn't have the right attitude. The
determination to succeed is so important in life in general that I don't want to
waste my time with those who don't want to to be successful.
How do I go about getting my photos
published?
At the magazine racks at your local bookstore there are magazines that
you page through every time you visit. Those are the magazines that you must
shoot for. That's because you understand and identify with the
reader.
Don't try to photograph subject matter that you have no interest in, or
photograph subject matter that you don't understand. Your lack of passion for
the subject and ignorance on the subject will show in your shots - if you like
nudes photograph nudes - If you like sports - photograph sports. I couldn't
illustrate a gardening magazine if I tried!
When you page through the magazines, decide what it is about each
photograph that makes is suitable for that particular magazine article. Does it
illustrate the story that's being written? Is the story being written around the
photograph?
Think like a magazine editor - what photo would you put on the pages to
illustrate the article? When you think like an editor you know what to go out
and shoot. Take lots of photos - send the best of them to magazines and if they
like them - they publish them and pay you. And the next thing - you're a
professional freelance photographer!
You will find the masthead - that is the list of the Officers, Editors,
and Publishers of the magazine - within the first couple of pages of the
magazine. Send your photos to the Editor, with a cover letter and a stamped self
addressed envelope if you want them returned.
Why do you write your own articles?
Being able to write your own stories really does help to get your photos
published. I started writing articles to make it easier for magazine editors to
use my photographs.
When I supply the editor the story and the photos, he
gets the entire package in one shot. For him its a no-brainer - he has the story
and the photos to illustrate the story - for him that's 4-6 pages of his
magazine taken care of - I have just made it easier for him to complete his high
pressure job - filling his magazine pages with suitable content - something that
he has to do every month. Make the editors life easy, and you will be published
every month!
How do I get started in glamour and fashion
photography?
There are thousands of articles written on this subject, some more
valuable than others, so I will just gloss over this eternal photographic
subject.
Find a suitable male or female that you are friends with - and ask to
photograph him or her. Tell them that it is for you own use, and you will give
them prints in exchange for their time.
During the shoot develop a relationship with the model and strive in
every photo to make him or her more beautiful in your photos than they appear in
real life. There is something really satisfying handing over a series of photos
to your model and seeing their _expression_ as they start to realize with how
beautiful they really are. Its something that still gives me a thrill to this
day.
Trust in this field is the most important asset that you can develop. If
you are attracted to your model, that's only natural - you are unlikely to
approach someone that doesn't appeal to you. Even if you feel that the model
would like to pursue something more intimate than modeling, DON'T ! NEVER EVER
DO IT with your models. The last thing that your career as a photographer can
cope with is a slanderous accusation, however unfounded it might be. One
indiscretion can ruin you - I have seen it happen and I have seen photographers
expend huge amounts of money taking models to court over inaccurate accounts of
conduct at a shoot. Their reputations seldom recover.
Always have at least one female assistant around to put your female
models at ease. Get model releases for every shoot.
Learn to photograph the Nude and Glamour
Model - direct and pose nude models yourself - attend our exciting and
informative Nude and Glamour Photography Workshop in Fort
Lauderdale
How do I get started in sports photography?
I started at high school, taking photos of my classmates playing in their
teams. I would photograph the game, process the film and prints in the darkroom
at night and sell the prints at school the following day. Most sports players
NEVER get to see a good photo of them playing a sport that they LOVE - they will
buy LOTS of your photos at GOOD prices. It still amazes me what I can get for a
good shot by selling directly to the athlete.
Photograph the sports you LOVE, stay away from the sports you dislike or
don't understand. Knowledge of the intricacies of the sport allow you to search
out that defining image. Start with local school sports and clubs.
Get to know the athletes, let their personality shine through in your
photos. Submit your photos to local newspapers and magazines - get to know the
editors personally. Develop relationships with the editors and with the teams
and athletes you photograph - become an INSIDER - it takes time, but once IN
you'll never be out!
Being a sports photographer requires a love for the sport you photograph.
Why else would you lug around over 100lbs of gear plus tripods and monopods and
lights and all the rest, just to catch a fleeting moment? The pay is never that
great - but when I am photographing my sports, it never feels like work, and
that gear doesn't seem to weigh anything at all.
Yet try and get me to photograph a still life and that 2lb macro lens
feels like a sack of bricks!
How did I get started in Travel Photography?
I love travel and take my camera everywhere. It didn't take me long to
figure out that my photography could pay for my vacations to exotic
destinations. So I started taking photographs of every bit of scenery I could. I
looked for unusual vantage points - not the ones that every one sees when
traveling down the road. I would go on foot, rent a horse, mule or dirt bike to
find the unusual points of view, and soon my photos were being published in
magazines. And as I mentioned above, I started writing travel articles to help
sell my photos.
The one great thing about travel photography - a good travel photograph
sells and sells and sells. It doesn't age, it becomes part of your pension plan.
Fashion, sport and car photography dates very quickly. Even a completely naked
model against a white background dates quickly. Body types, makeup and
hairstyles all point to a specific time period. But good travel photographs and
wildlife photographs will sell forever.
You're a successful commercial photographer, why do you shoot
weddings?
I often get asked why I still shoot weddings, possibly one of the most
stressful and unpleasant assignments that a photographer can ever undertake.
Hundreds of guests, lots of family, bride and groom - so many to please that you
can never please them all. And in some respects the naysayers are right - trying
to make two ugly miserable people who hate each other look romantic and
beautiful on their wedding day is the quickest way to despise
photography.
But the truth of the matter is that I am a hopeful romantic at heart, and
being such a fundamental part of a couple's memories for the rest of their lives
is a tremendous privilege that I love. Attending a wedding where the bridal
couple is truly in love is something special and my sensitivity to that has
allowed me to be exceptionally successful in this often-maligned field. I don't
take every wedding couple that I interview - I try to get a sense of why they
are getting married, and if I sense anything other than true love, I decline the
assignment.
Also, wedding photographers in high demand have the ability to make
really outstanding money, and also get flown all over the world to exotic
locations to photograph wonderful weddings.
Yeah I know this all sounds corny, but I often stay in touch with couples
whose weddings I photograph, long after that wonderful day. I get invited on
their family vacations, sometimes I get offered their vacation cottages for my
own use, and I get wonderful referrals that bring me more work than I can deal
with.
Do you have any additional advice for a photographer starting
out?
Once again I advise you to shoot what you love and AVOID THE REST - it
will turn you off photography, take my word for it. Pick your assignments! Turn
down clients and projects you don't want. Don't stop taking photos for your own
personal use and don't get caught in the GOTTA HAVE IT equipment trap - it won't
make you a better photographer. Practice and experimentation will. SHOOT SHOOT
SHOOT!
And finally.
Develop a business brain - develop an insight into what your customer/
client really wants, and then exceed their expectations. This approach is a
license to print money!!!!
If anything I have done here helps or inspires
you, a thank you note would be appreciated. You are always welcome to pay me a
visit if you are ever in Ft Lauderdale
Good luck
Regards,
Danny Steyn
www.dannysteyn.com
