How to become a photographer


You might be graduating soon. Or maybe you want a career change. Or you are just curious and decided to give this article a read. No matter where you come from, you did well because today we are gonna talk about the path you need to follow to become a successful photographer. Ready?

Well you shouldn't be, because there isn't ONE perfect artistic path paved with dollar bills. However, there are a few decision you are free to make to get you there, one being Education.

There are two kinds of people on this planet: academics and the too cool for school. Neither is better than the other, it is a decision that depends on everyone's personality.

Getting training before throwing yourself in any career is always a good idea. It is definitely a safety net for uncertainty. School can prevent screw ups as you will be trained and hopefully, will be taught a minimum whatever you are doing.
But we also know that the best way to develop and master a skill is to practice, practice and -oh- practice. Learning right on the field will definitely take you there.

My background is a little funny, as I am an academic who chose to follow the too cool for school path. I did great in school, and I loved it. But after my high school, I decided that I did not want to spend 5 more years to master theory. I wanted to go out there and learn on the go. My shaky legs and I followed a not so prestigious 2-year photography training in Paris in which I was going to school 1 week per month. The remaining 3 weeks, I was working in a company I had previously found, while being paid a certain amount of the normal wage. It is kind of a golden ticket: on one hand you learn the technical aspects of photography and on the other hand you get to see what it is like in the real world.

There is always this strange feeling floating in the air, like if you don't enroll at school, you will not get anywhere. This feeling is usually followed by its ugly cousin: if you are not going to school, you're pretty much dumb my friend. Like my brother-in-law and entrepreneur said: you don't learn how to ride a bike with a book. So, if schools are not your thing, you shall not worry: there are plenty of other ways to learn otherwise. However, you will have to be determined and go fish for information by yourself: online training, practicing on own time, free resources, find an internship (and serve coffee)....

Remember: whatever you choose to do, you are doing it for yourself only. Follow your guts and give everything you have. And don't even think about becoming a fauxtographer!

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