Photo by Mike Baker on Unsplash
If you’re just starting with photography, it may be tempting to try to do all the things, but most people will find the experience more fulfilling if they choose to focus most of their efforts on one particular type of photography. These six tips will help you discover which type of photography is best for you.
1. If You Like Photographing People, Consider Portrait Photography
Portrait photography, which is also known as candid photography, centers around capturing a subject’s personality on camera. This type of photography is extremely accessible because, in addition to traditional cameras, high-end smartphones or rugged tablets can be used to get good shots.
Portrait photographers need to love to work with people because a big part of the job is finding ways to bring out individual expression through poses and close-ups. This is also known as Beauty photography.
Professionals in this niche might photograph celebrities or supermodels. They also may take graduation photos and family portraits or produce professional headshots. To succeed as a portrait photographer you need to be able to use shadows, lighting and distance to highlight your subject’s best features.
2. If Nature Is More Your Thing, Try Landscape Photography
Not everyone likes to take pictures of people. If you love the great outdoors, landscape photography might be an ideal choice for you. Landscape photography may also be an ideal choice for photographers who like to travel. The advent of drones with cameras has opened up a whole new world of landscape photography, making it possible to get angles and views that most people never had access to before. This is not a good choice for photographers who do not want to invest in a high-quality camera and lenses.
Novice photographers can use smartphone cameras. Mobile photography can be your golden ticket to a successful professional photography career. Take beautiful landscape photos of places you travel to and share them on social media. With social media, your friends and family can share them with others, boosting your photography’s exposure. Don’t forget to include your e-signature or watermark on your landscape photos to protect your intellectual property. Check out other helpful photography tips for mobile here.
3. If Trees Aren’t Your Thing and People Don’t Excite You, Consider Pet Photography
Pet photography is a lot like portrait photography, but with animals instead of people. Obviously, you will do best with this genre if you enjoy working with pets and know how to get them to perform for you. You don’t have to be a professional animal trainer, but it helps if you have some knowledge of pet behavior. Working with pets also means working with pet owners, so you still need some people skills.You can ask your closest loved ones to participate in a private pet photoshoot. Prepare pet costumes and toys if you’ll be shooting in a studio to capture interesting photos of your furry subjects. It’s also a good idea to shoot pets and their owners while in action, such as walking or jogging in the park, playing catch the ball, or chasing a flying saucer. You can showcase the natural behaviors of cats, dogs, birds, and any other pet you want as subjects.
4. If You Love Animals and the Outdoors, Consider Wildlife Photography
Much like landscape photography, wildlife photography is a good choice for people who like to work outdoors. However, instead of focusing on photographing the scenery, wildlife photographers specialize in taking pictures of wild animals. You will need both high-end equipment and some safety training to succeed in this genre. Because this is one of the most challenging types of photography, it is also one of the highest paying.
Wildlife photography may include capturing photos of bears, tigers, lions, and other wild animals. You can participate in safari-based adventures and trips to shoot wild animals while catching their prey. Being a wildlife photographer is very exciting and challenging. It will give you utmost satisfaction, especially when you see your photos posted on nature magazines and wildlife documentaries.
5. If You Love To Eat, Give Food Photography a Try
If you have a love of eating or cooking and don’t want to spend your time outside, food photography may be perfect for you. Because a high-end camera phone and some good lighting can produce high-quality shots, this is a very accessible type of photography. You will need to learn how to get the white balance just right for accurate colors and enhance your photos in post-processing to get those perfect mouthwatering shots. Jobs with food magazines are pretty hard to come by, but there are lots of cooking blogs and restaurant sites that may be willing to hire your services.
6. If You Love Sports and Are Looking for a Challenge, Sports Photography May Be for You
Sports photography isn’t a niche for amateurs. You will need fast shutter speeds, and expensive lenses to get good shots. You will also need to be intensely focused so you don’t miss that perfect shot and know something about the sports you are photographing.
With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to settle on just one as a new photographer. However, becoming really good at one area of photography, instead of just OK at a bunch can be a rewarding experience.