Photography is an exciting subject in that it can have a mass appeal to artists, people who solely want work, and hobbyists who look to begin a new journey in something. No matter what your particular dealings in the field might be, it can become a reasonably expensive journey, especially if you hope to do it professionally. As a result, it begs the question of how someone can take the first steps in photography without an expensive camera.
Use Your Phone
Some photographers may have a massive issue with the use of phones and their role in photography. However, if you’re just starting out, there’s no shame in learning the simple mechanics of taking a photo by using your phone. It’ll allow you to understand the rule of thirds, focused images, to find subjects, and much more. Practice makes perfect, but especially in the world of photography.
Plus, phones have very decent cameras, and they’re only getting better. Although they’ll never replace a digital or film camera, they still hold a special place for people looking for quick ways to photograph something of note. Then, once you can save a few bucks and buy an inexpensive digital or film camera, you’ll already have a good sense of the area around you for good spots for shooting.
Read Photography Literature
Although the term photography literature may seem a bit broad, this term can technically be applied to anything in photography. If you have the ability to access the internet, check out photography blogs, websites, magazines, YouTube videos, and countless other mediums that’ll allow you to take a dive into photography literature.
Once you find a photographer you enjoy, be sure to see if they have any written work that’ll help further your journey into the literary realm of photography. Besides random blog-posts geared to a story behind a shot, definitely check out articles and other literary mediums based around the technical side of photography. Be as knowledgeable as you can be with the technical side, and definitely look to the history of the subject to further the perspicacity you’ll gain. Â
Look for Inspiration
If you talk to anyone who is deeply entwined in photography, they’ll more than likely tell you the importance of looking for inspiration. Inspiration doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to look at other photographers’ work to feel amazed, but can be achieved from anything in your life. Maybe you’ll watch a movie that has excellent cinematography, that film can potentially inspire you to do a future photographic style you hadn’t done before.
Going back to the photography literature aspect, definitely do what you can to learn about the various genres and styles of photography. Usually, early on, photographers have a challenging time finding what niche of photography is right for them. If you can manage to skim through the different forms of photography before you own a camera, you might strike an idea of where you can begin once you do own a camera.
Conclusion
For more articles, videos, and other information surrounding photography, follow Anthony Morganti on YouTube and Instagram. Unrelated, but follow my music blog here and my satirical news site here.
