If you have spent more than 3 minutes as a blogger, you have figured out that good solid photography skills definitely give you a leg up. Pinterest, Instagram, even Facebook are social channels that thrive on beautiful pictures. But you might be shocked how many successful bloggers started having never picked up camera.
New to Photography? Start Slow
If you aspire to blogging success but have only taken pictures on you iPhone, don’t panic. You can take pretty great pictures on an iPhone – and you will eventually learn that good photography is as much about learning to use light as it is the equipment you have in your hand.
When to Buy new Photography Equipment
Only have a point and click camera? That’s a good starting point too. My rule of thumb is to be great with the tool you have before adding something new. When you are good enough with a point and click camera that you actually know how moving to a DSLR camera will change your photography, then it is time to move up.
The same rule applies in the future too. Don’t add new lenses, lights, or equipment until you actually know what adding them will do for you. When you can see what is lacking or missing from your current photography, find the equipment or tool that helps you resolve that issue.
Don’t Spend Until You Know What You’re Buying
It is very easy to get sucked into buying up without really understanding what you are getting. And photography equipment can be very expensive. Pick something to learn, get the equipment, learn to use is really well before moving on to the next thing.
There are a lot of beginner photographers with buyer’s remorse. Lots of equipment end up in the closet and expensive cameras get left on automatic because purchases are made without a clear direction of what they are trying to accomplish.
Focus Prevents Frustration!
Focusing on one thing at a time keeps you from getting frustrated – because photography has a lot of bits to learn that influence the quality of your photo. Practicing one concept at a time until it becomes a natural part of your photography workflow also trains your eye and helps you grow.
The things you spend forever tweaking now will be second nature to you in a few weeks. Give yourself that time to learn. As your eye for good photos develops, so will your ability to see the next thing you need to learn.