How to get started in photography?

© Meero

Photography, with it’s long and complicated history, has been inspiring the world for more than a century now, but with each passing year, it only gets stronger and better. So it’s no surprise that everyday people pick up a camera for the first time, and many of them decide they want to make a real run of it.  

Every day, here at Meero, people ask us how to become a photographer, so we’ve asked a panel of Meero experts what advice they have for someone starting out in photography. 

And if you like this article, be sure to check out the panel’s responses to What camera to buy when starting out? and What accessories are essential for a photography kit?  

Coline Olsina 

Editor, Blind Magazine 

I would advise them not to concentrate only on practice but to take the time to build up a photographic culture that is similar to their own: go to exhibitions, festivals and look at photo books. This is a good way to understand how a photographic project is built.

Solène Cochet

Quality manager 

You have to practice in manual mode! The secret is to master the ISO/shutter speed/aperture triangle.  When you master the right settings in any situation (indoor, outdoor, sun, snow...) you will go from beginner to experienced amateur!

© Meero 

Mayaz Dimashki

Producer

Take it slow and be patient with your results, almost every photographer started out by taking bad photos for years until they found their style and the ability to translate the images in their head into real ones. Don’t let your frustration destroy your will to take photos. When I first started, I used to do this great exercise, I used to randomly select a room in my home (whether it is the bathroom, the bedroom or the kitchen), close the door behind me and force myself to take 100 photos in there. It might sound like too much but this has taught me to discover details in the places I’m shooting that I wouldn’t normally see at first glance which led to me having an eye for these minute details when I started doing professional photography.

Jean-Baptiste Gauvin 

Editor, Blind Magazine 

To start out photography is to enter a parallel world, with its paths, its colors, its particularities… It can be a bit intimidating of course. But you have to go for it because it's a real pleasure! And then, I advise you to take the time to find a good subject. Start with things that are close to you: your neighborhood, your friends, something from your personal history. Finding a subject is then finding something to say about yourself and/or the world, it takes time, but it's rewarding and rich for self-knowledge. 

Sharbel Kanoun

Production & Editing Quality Owner 

My advice would be to decide the path you want to take before you start, look ahead and also keep in mind that you are about to enter a very difficult industry where the competition is extremely high, but the most important advice, above all, is to keep clicking that button, shoot on a daily basis, never stop.

Photo by  Alif Ngoylung, Unsplash

Aure Briand-Lyard

Photo Quality Expert

My advice would be not to listen to other people's advice! The best photographers are always a bit rebellious. You have to get off the beaten track to find your own style and define your own identity. The best way not to be discouraged by photography is to photograph what you like. You don't have to force yourself to do street photography to "get started." Do you like nature? Nudes? Concert photography? Go ahead and do it, without asking anyone for permission. And don't forget that you become a good photographer in a decade or so, so be patient...

Quentin Jourdan

Partner Relations Manager

Take a deep breath, take care of the paperwork, then sign up with Meero! It's a good compromise for those just starting out. And don't hesitate to go to the more experienced photographers for advice or even to become their assistant. This way you can learn quickly and well, and after a while, your network will start to grow, you will have more beautiful things to show, and it will start to work.

 On that note, we are just going to leave this little ad here…