Hi all I'm new here. Any advice an tips people can give me.

Hi Danny , quite a broad question

A paid photographer or hobby
Full time or part time
What type of photography
What photography do you enjoy and are best at
What's your experience so far
Etc
Etc
Etc
Etc
 
Welcome Danny. There is a wealth oh helpful advice on here. But you do need to be more specific as above.
 
That's a helluva first post Danny!

Welcome to TP. I think Tom's advice above is sound to start with.... then come back here when you need something more specific.
 
Enjoy it! If you're not enjoying it, it will be hard to stay motivated.
 
Thanks for the replies. Id like to shoot landscape an wild life Hopefully get paid for it as a free lance. It's how to approach magazine editors? Is zenfolio worth it to make sales on? Know of any good spots in the Merseyside area?

Thanks for getting back
 
Danny1988 said:
Any advice about becoming a photographer will be great
Click to expand...

Become really good at photography. Learn, read, study, practice. Listen to those who already have a proven track record, or career behind them, and tune out the bull crap advice you get from those that have not.

Oh... then read, study, practice some more.

Rinse and repeat for a while.....

Start posting work up for critique, and don't be scared of it getting a good kicking once in a while: You learn from mistakes. Grown a thicker skin.

Don't just assume what you read in response to your work is true. Do some reading up on the person giving you the crit... who they are, what they do, and how good is their own work? If their work is crap, then why take their advice? If they post no work of their own, again, why take their advice? Anyone can post on the internet. Learn to seek crit from those actually qualified to give it.

..and as Chris says... enjoy it.

Don't walk around aimlessly looking for images, or more accurately... don't have that as your main method of producing work. You'll eventually get bored. Great image often start in your head, or in response to something utterly unlinked to photography. Ideas can come from anywhere... a book, a film, a song, a poem... a new story, a conversation. If you just walk around, you will just be "taking" pictures more than likely instead of "Making" them. Even if documentary image making appeals to you, you still need the story, the idea... it all starts in teh head with your creativity.

Watch tutorials and videos by all means.... but bear in mind what you should get from these is technical skills, NOT ideas.

Go to galleries and photography shows.

Learn what's current... who's good, who's not. Look at the work of those acknowledged to be good and analyse it for what makes it good.

Don't assume anything on Flickr is good because it has a squillion likes. Any old crappy image of a sunset, or a girl in whispy clothing in a wood will get a quintillion likes... especially if there's a smoke machine involved.

Carry on reading, studying and practising.

Accept the fact that you will be learning for the rest of your life... or just give up now.
 
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Hi And welcome to the forum,

First get out with your camera and see what you enjoy taking photos of, you may find out its not what you first thought of, when you have a few images to show, put them up and there will be lots of suggestion on what you have done
 
Danny1988 said:
Thanks for the replies. Id like to shoot landscape an wild life Hopefully get paid for it as a free lance. It's how to approach magazine editors? Is zenfolio worth it to make sales on? Know of any good spots in the Merseyside area?

Thanks for getting back
Click to expand...
Merseyside???
Strewth. I live in Merseyside. It's full of places.
Got a car? If not use Merseyrail.
Too many places to list. Just walk out your front door.
If you are really stuck just wander down to Pee Red. There are several days worth of work there. Was there myself this morning. Go and look at the Duck Trail. And on and on.....
 
Pookeyhead said:
Become really good at photography. Learn, read, study, practice. Listen to those who already have a proven track record, or career behind them, and tune out the bull crap advice you get from those that have not.

Oh... then read, study, practice some more.

Rinse and repeat for a while.....

Start posting work up for critique, and don't be scared of it getting a good kicking once in a while: You learn from mistakes. Grown a thicker skin.

Don't just assume what you read in response to your work is true. Do some reading up on the person giving you the crit... who they are, what they do, and how good is their own work? If their work is crap, then why take their advice? If they post no work of their own, again, why take their advice? Anyone can post on the internet. Learn to seek crit from those actually qualified to give it.

..and as Chris says... enjoy it.

Don't walk around aimlessly looking for images, or more accurately... don't have that as your main method of producing work. You'll eventually get bored. Great image often start in your head, or in response to something utterly unlinked to photography. Ideas can come from anywhere... a book, a film, a song, a poem... a new story, a conversation. If you just walk around, you will just be "taking" pictures more than likely instead of "Making" them. Even if documentary image making appeals to you, you still need the story, the idea... it all starts in teh head with your creativity.

Watch tutorials and videos by all means.... but bear in mind what you should get from these is technical skills, NOT ideas.

Go to galleries and photography shows.

Leans what's current... who's good, who's not. Look at the work of those acknowledged to be good and analyse it for what makes it good.

Don't assume anything on Flickr is good because it has a squillion likes. Any old crappy image of a sunset, or a girl in whispy clothing in a wood will get a quintillion likes... especially if there's a smoke machine involved.

Carry on reading, studying and practising.

Accept the fact that you will be learning for the rest of your life... or just give up now.
Click to expand...
This is the best advice...........good sound advice.
Thought provoking certainly got me thinking

Thanks for taking the time to write it.

Mickey
 
Danny1988 said:
Id like to shoot landscape an wild life Hopefully get paid for it as a free lance. It's how to approach magazine editors?
Click to expand...

Are you a beginner? If so, learn to walk before you can run. What's the rush?
 
psybear said:
That's a helluva first post Danny!

Welcome to TP. I think Tom's advice above is sound to start with.... then come back here when you need something more specific.
Click to expand...
Sarcasm ! I love it. My advice is just do it, enjoy the experience of capturing images and memories, and don't get hung up on equipment. Keep it simple and enjoyable.
 
I read somewhere about radioactive spiders, spandex and big city lights being the key to earning a living from photography. I'll try to dig out the article.

EDIT. Found it here

:)
 
OP has been on several times since his last post but has made no further comment.
Maybe we're giving the wrong advice?
 
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