Photography is not only interesting but it gives a person a creative avenue for enlightenment.
People who are interested in photography should not consider it as just another creative outlet or a pastime but should know that they are on their way to discovering a new career or a business undertaking that will lead them to financial success and fame.
One thing a person should be aware of is that photography is not an easy undertaking.
In fact not all people who want to become professional photographer attain their goal.
The industry is cutthroat and very competitive thus only the best can survive in it.
There are too many people out there who want to become world renowned photographers than are spaces available.
For a person to be successful or be considered a successful photographer, they have to be immensely creative and have good business acumen.
So, what are the main elements for any successful photographer?
- Recognition- This is the main element for all those who would like to become professional photographers.
You will simply have to be recognized in this field to start earning, otherwise nobody would like to hire somebody unknown to a photo session.
People don't just buy your art but also your credentials.
What I mean is, they buy what you represent.
Mostly what you present to people will be of intrinsic value to them thus making them buy your work.
Such consideration as, with whom you have worked for in the past, where your work has been published, how long you have been a photographer or where you have traveled to work, will work for or against any photographer. - Education- You need as much education as you can to succeed in this area, thus get as much of it under your belt as you possibly can.
Throughout your education as a photographer, take as many photographs as you could so as to create a good portfolio.
You should ensure it stands out above the rest in the field.
This is by paying extra attention to details.
This is to say, you have to pay attention to the photograph itself, the paper to print it on, font descriptions, borders, your themes, picture sizes, color composition and layout.
Don't forget the book to put photograph in, it has to be the best and the most unique in the market.
You should not fill a scrap book or photo album with simple photographs but you should ensure that you can walk away from your portfolio and be impressed with your work.
This is not an easy task to many photographers the reason being that they are their own worst critics. - Assistant- For any professional photographer the presence of an able assistant is always a plus.
For most assistant, the pay is usually poor but if you are a student, the experience always pays high dividends.
A student should always try and work under the most respected photographers in the field.
For the photographer, the assistant offers other essential services, such as, giving out the photos to their respective owners if you are held up by other work and you are not in your studio.