So, You Want to be a Photographer?

That was the question some of my family members had for me when I said I wanted to be a photographer. Not my parents, of course, they were very supportive, but others thought that “photographers are a dime a dozen, why do you want to do that?”.  Needless to say, I never brought it up again, but quietly worked on my path to become a professional photographer. 

Are you just starting out in photography, or are you thinking about making a career of it? Awesome! Go for it! It is a respectable profession and there are many needs for professional, high quality photography. It doesn’t take a college degree to get there, I’m proof of that, and as you talk with more and more working photographers, you will find the same - they learned by trial and error, working with other photographers, and spending time absorbing the knowledge offered by organizations like the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and attending affiliated schools that focus on categories like portraits, weddings, commercial, fine art and business. PPA also has state and local affiliate groups that meet regularly to promote networking and education to aspiring and professional photographers. This is how I was able to build a business that supported me for a long time, both economically and creatively. I can’t emphasize enough how much these organizations helped me. Get involved, volunteer for a committee to have more time with people you admire. Be brave and enter print competition, it offers valuable feedback on your work. This, along with shooting as much as you can, will make you a better photographer. 

How did I become a photographer? I was originally inspired by my Mom, who loved photography, and did it off-and-on throughout her life. When I was a teenager, she got into it again and I was her primary subject. As that evolved, I found myself more interested in creating the images, and being behind the camera. Then, as I got older, and started going out to see live local bands, I would borrow her camera to do photos of the bands. It was fun, helped me to make new friends, and always got me into the clubs. I was also playing with landscape and street photography. My idol quickly became photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger, and I would fantasize about doing photo shoots for Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone. Lofty goals for sure, but I loved photography, so would continue learning and shooting as much as I could, and find a place in the photographic industry that I enjoyed.

School was never really my thing, so I didn’t go to college to get a degree. Instead I took a path that resembles more “on the job” training. I got jobs in the industry, working at various photo labs (this was 25+ years ago, so there were no digital cameras, everyone shot film, and you relied on photo processing labs to develop your film and make your prints), which was a great platform to meet local, working photographers. As I started to work with photographers, a category emerged for me - portraits and weddings. I found something enjoyable, that could also generate income. The first 15+ years of my photography career were focused on portrait and wedding photography. It was a great experience, and I wouldn’t change a thing, but after some time, I wanted to do something different. I slowed down and took a break to explore where I wanted to go next. I always loved animals and nature. If I could shoot anything, what would it be? Wildlife and nature. And the next chapter began…

What you see on my website these days are photographs of beautiful landscapes and exquisite creatures that make unique photographic wall art for homes, offices and businesses. This is very different than capturing special moments in people’s lives, so requires a different marketing plan. Being a person who thinks a little bit differently, I am exploring different avenues to connect with my ideal clients. As a nature photographer, some common ways to sell art include having a booth at art fairs, hanging your work in high visibility places, online art galleries such as Art.com, Saatchi Art, Etsy, to name a few. It takes a well rounded approach, but first, decide what category you want to focus on and who your ideal client is. Many seasoned professionals will tell you to focus on a niche, or specific category, and do that well. I agree with this approach. As a generalist, you can be spread too thin, struggle to meet the numerous needs, and be unsatisfied creatively. So, so some soul searching and write down what your perfect scenario looks like, then do research on how you can get there. My ideal client right now is a professional interior designer or architect who is looking for specific, unique art to decorate professional and medical offices to create a certain feeling or emotion. My photographic art prints evoke a feeling of tranquility, peace, escape, which is ideal for medical offices - images that create a calm environment in an anxious situation.  An approach that has worked good for me is one-on-one contact, so I am researching targeted professional organizations to network with. To ensure the people I reach out to get the most important information about my nature and wildlife photography quickly, it is ESSENTIAL to have a GREAT WEBSITE. I am constantly updating my online galleries so that visitors see the best I have to offer quickly. Remember, most people look at a website for 60 seconds or less, so you have to make a good first impression to make them want to see more. 

Being a professional, working photographer is a great career choice, and one that has many different facets to explore. I am grateful for all the photographers I have met and studied under, and am so glad they have been willing to share. It’s an amazing, welcoming community and I am proud to be a part of it. I invite you to explore the links below to dive deeper into the wonderful world of professional photography and all it has to offer. 

Number one professional photographers association, membership provides many benefits, including equipment insurance and extensive educational options: Professional Photographers of America: PPA.org 

Wedding and Portrait focused annual conference, high quality education: Wedding and Portrait Photographers International - https://wppiexpo.com 

High quality digital education (Photoshop, Lightroom, workflow, etc): National Association of Photoshop Professionals/KelbyONEN - https://kelbyone.com/photoshop/ 

Website creation, hosting and client gallery platform, easy to use, and outstanding customer service:  Photobiz - www.photobiz.com