Becoming a professional photographer requires a long, grueling process. It requires years of practice full of trials and errors. But for those of you that don’t have the time or drive to commit to learning the craft but still wants to instantly look like a professional photographer, no worries! There’s a way for you to fake it til you make it! Here’s how:
1. Dress like a photographer.
Use accessories a professional would, because people do judge books by their covers. Accessorize yourself with a neck scarf, a photographer vest, and a photography-themed t-shirt. Voila, you’ll have people fooled!
2. Use big-sized cameras.
If you really want to look like a pro, size does matter. Chuck your point-and-shoot or your camera phone. Use the biggest camera you can find. Heck, find ones that’ll cover your whole face when you use it. The bigger, the better!
3. Use a lens hood.
Screw on a lens hood onto your lens. You may not know what it’s really for, but hey, you’ll look groovy.
4. Grip like a pro.
Pay attention to the way you grip your camera. Make sure that you don’t look like an amateur. Do the following: have one hand gripping the side of the camera with the index finger ready on the shutter button, the other hand supporting the underside of the lens, legs bent, and elbow resting on the knee to reduce tremors. Watch out passersby, a professional photographer is in action!
5. Know how to change lenses quickly.
Practice removing that lens quickly. Twist off, twist on!
6. Find a photographer’s assistant.
A professional don’t work alone. They need a caddy to carry their heavy tools that comes aplenty everywhere they go.
7. Learn photography lingo.
Now that you’ve learned to walk the walk, you have got to learn to talk the talk. Pile up your artillery of photography lingo like “pincushion distortion,” “depth of field,” and “chromatic aberration.” Peruse around this blog and get yourself enlightened!
8. Use external flash.
Still pushing that button to pop-up the on-camera flash? That’s a total noob move. Buy yourself an external flash to get that professional look from head to toe (of your camera).
Follow the above tips and you’ll be sure to have that professional photographer swagger about you instantly! Or probably don’t… you’ll totally look like a poser 😀
