Professional photography is a art. Many successful photographers have a several things in common. We will discuss these traits that we feel are necessary to progress in field of photography.
Education:
First of all, get an education. We highly suggest getting a 4 year degree with a major in some aspect of photography. 2 year colleges or work experience can work, but your best bet is to get the degree. There are a lot of other aspects of 4 four years of college other than the actual photography classes. For example, you should enroll in as many marketing and sales courses as possible because every independent business relies heavily on sales. In addition, your college experience will allow you to make longtime friends, colleagues, and future clients. Finally, study art history and learn from the history of your profession.
Coop/Internship:
We highly suggest contacting many professional photographers in your are while college. Your contact should be direct face-to-face interaction in which you propose to work for them for free. Yeah we said free. The experience and contacts that you could possibly make will more than reimburse you in the future. These professionals can save you years of mistakes by teaching you everything from equipment maintenance to customer billing. You may be wonderful with a camera, but do you know how to get a $20,000 check out a client without offending them?
If you are lucky and have a good network in place, you may get paid placement like a "Freelance Assistant." Freelance assistants are used by photographers on part-time basis dependent on their workload. We say meet as many as possible and get your name out there. Just make sure that you become the best one they have ever had.
Tips on Becoming a Great Assistant:
1. Be one step ahead: Know when your boss is thirsty, we he/she needs film
2. Handle their equipment with extreme care.
3. Always be on time
4. Always be honest
5. Always bring an optimistic attitude to the table
6. Don't bother the clients or models
7. Know when to shut your mouth.
8. Never mention competition
9. Keep yourself in shape
10. Save them money anyway possible
Networking/Business Planning:
If you are efficient and make the right use of your time at school you can have all of this accomplished in 4 years. Now, you are ready to use your network, education, and tools to start your own show. The first thing you will need is equipment which typically means money. Be crafty and rely on family if possible. Get the gear, start a website, and call everyone you know to prospect new clients.