You want to be a photographer, now what?

You want to be a photographer. Now what?

Firstly, you have to start researching what brand camera body you want to use. The big three are: Canon, Nikon, and Sony. These are the ones you will see most people using and many articles are written that talk about the differences of all three. Overall, the three big brands are very similar, but have very small differences which can lead you towards what kind of photography you want to do. The differences are small, and everyone has a differing opinion on what makes them different, but depending on what you’re looking to go into, these differences can make the choice go towards one brand or another.

After choosing a starter camera, you can start researching what types of photography you are interested in. there are many different categories and it could take a few tries before you find what your passion is.

The first decision is if you want to use a digital camera or film.

Digital can be somewhat easier as you can capture and edit from home with just a laptop, whereas film requires a dark room and chemicals. Film development also takes longer. The ease of access may sway you towards digital whereas the nostalgia of film could call your name.

The next few categories are the major groups that many others branch off from:

Portrait, Event, and Landscape/nature

Portraits can be broken down to these subgroups:

·       Fashion

·       Family

·       Fantasy

·       Boudoir

·       Child

·       Self-portrait

·       Newborn

·       Glamor

·       Headshot

·       Street

·       Pet

Event

·       Wedding

·       Sports

·       Music

·       Travel

·       Graduation

·       Baby shower

·       Etc.

Nature/landscape

·       Landscapes

·       Wildlife

·       Bird

·       Insect

·       Sunset

·       Ocean/ underwater

·       Cityscape

·       Urban exploration

·       Astrophotography

There are also others that do not exclusively fall under these main categories. These categories can fall under those original categories as they are broken down to smaller niche, but they can also stand alone. Those are as follows:

·       Macro

·       Aerial/ drone

·       Panorama

·       Action

·       Still life

·       Fine art

·       Abstract

·       Minimalist

·       Multi-exposure

·       Composite

·       Time-lapse

·       Long exposure

·       Food

·       Architecture

·       Real estate

·       Editorial

·       War

·       Photojournalism

·       Documentary

Finding the right fit for yourself can seem daunting, but the great thing about art is that you can try every kind until you find what drives you to create. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the more you research, the more trial and error that happens, the closer you’ll get.

It can be overwhelming at first, but do not be afraid to take chances, do research, and always be willing to reach out to creatives in your area. I am always happy to answer any questions that I can or help point you towards someone else that can answer better.