How Do I Make It as a Professional Photographer? An Award-Winning Photographer Answers
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Expert Videos
Expert :
Ian Spanier
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Every aspiring photographer wants to know how to make it professionally. Ian Spanier, an award-winning photographer in Los Angeles whose work has appeared in ESPN, Esquire, and Marie Claire, gives the same answer every time. Here it is.
Short answer: To make it as a professional photographer, shoot as much as you can and learn to love failure. Practice and mistakes are where photographers learn everything that matters.
How do I make it as a professional photographer?
According to Ian, you learn to fail. Whether you want to shoot celebrities, magazines, news, or weddings, his advice is the same: failure is where you really learn how to do everything.
Why does failing make you a better photographer?
Every missed shot teaches you something a tutorial can't. Failing shows you how to handle difficult situations and overcome the challenges photographers face, whether in a studio, on location, out in the field, or on assignment in a foreign country.
How much should aspiring photographers practice?
As much as possible. Ian's one addition to "learn to fail" is "shoot, shoot, shoot." He compares it to an athlete: just as an athlete trains to become great at a sport, a photographer needs to train until the craft becomes second nature.
Does this advice apply to every type of photography?
Yes. Ian says it doesn't matter which path you choose. Celebrity, editorial, news, or wedding photography all come back to the same two things: shooting constantly and learning from what goes wrong.
Transcript
"If there is one piece of advice that I can give all photographers who want to be a celebrity photographer, or a magazine photographer, or a newspaper reporter, or a wedding photographer, it's always going to be the same piece of advice: learn to fail. Failing is where you really learn how to do everything. If there was maybe an asterisk I'd put on that, it would be shoot, shoot, shoot. Shooting and failing are the two places where you will learn everything you need to learn as a photographer: how to succeed in difficult spots, how to overcome the challenges that we face, whether in a studio, on location, out in the field, or on assignment in a foreign country. So as a photographer, build those skills just like an athlete would. An athlete trains to become great at a sport. A photographer needs to train themselves to become so good at their craft that it becomes second nature. So train yourself as a photographer. Learn to love failure, and shoot a lot. My name is Ian Spanier, and I'm a professional photographer here in Los Angeles, California, and you can find me on ProPass in the App Store."
Watch Ian answer the question (tap the video to play):
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FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I become a professional photographer?
Shoot as often as you can and treat every mistake as a lesson. Practice and failure are where photographers build the skills to work professionally.
How do I get better at photography?
Train like an athlete. Shoot regularly in different settings, review what didn't work, and keep practicing until good technique becomes second nature.
Is it normal to make mistakes as a new photographer?
Yes. Even professional photographers learned through missed shots and tough assignments. Mistakes are a normal and necessary part of improving.
Does this advice apply to wedding and portrait photography?
Yes. Whether you shoot weddings, portraits, editorial, or news, the fundamentals are the same: shoot a lot and learn from what goes wrong.
How can I talk to Ian Spanier?
Ian is on ProPass, where you can follow his work, message him, and book a session or package. Download ProPass on the App Store.