Getting Started! Part 1

Since I have started this column in M2, I have gotten a lot of positive feed back. And I have also received tones of mails. Reviewing them today, I discovered that most of the questions my readers were asking are usually about “so how do I actually get started?”
There are many ways to start photography. You can get some books and start reading (John Hedgekoe’s books are very good for starters) and train yourself. Or you can find a professional photographer who will integrate you into his daily workflow.
But before you apply to a photographer for internship, make sure you already have some work to present to him. Let the photographer see that your interest in photography is not just said but also meant.
Also the choice of the photographer you want to learn from should be carefully made. Start analyzing yourself and find out what kind of person you are. Are you more an outgoing, fun loving person or a more reserved fellow who likes to work alone? Do you like to travel or do you prefer to stay at home? Are you fast on your feet or rather slow? … The answers to these questions will help you find out what area of photography suits you best. If you are a reserved person, who likes to take his time and does not talk much, I would suggest that studio work and still photography would be more ideal for you than wedding photography.
Once you have found a photographer you would like to work with and who also wants to work with you, you should stay with him for nothing less than 6 month to a year.
While you are assisting this photographer try and find time to work on your own portfolio. Because once you think you are ready to go for your own jobs everything comes down to your portfolio. (I will give you more explanation on that next week).
When you are thinking of your area of specialization don’t make the mistake to seek for the areas of photography which might generate more money. Photography does not work that way. Because photography does not reward the sweat you put into an image but the love for it.