Need some advice starting out...

[Quintin]

Hi all!

I'm quite new here, and I signed on because I'm seriously considering a career as a professional photographer. I bought a 500D a couple of months back (my first SLR), and I've been having an absolute ball with it. I'd been working as a graphic designer for the past two years, but taking pictures of interesting people and places beats laying out annual reports any day! I think I just might have found my calling.

But I'm afraid I might be getting ahead of myself. And I'm actually serious when I say that - I'm afraid I might be too enamoured with this whole photography deal.

I'm turning 21 next year. I've never studied (no funds), but I've already got two years' experience in a creative industry, and I'm not a bad crack with Photoshop. I've just resigned from a not-too-shabby job as a junior designer in a small firm to pursue my freelance design career. The last month has been my busiest ever, and also my most profitable ever, so naturally I'm getting stars in my eyes and budgeting for an L-series lens and a speedlight or two.

So my questions to you more experienced photographers here: am I kidding myself? Is studying a necessity, or can you get by with being self-taught? What's the best way to start out in the industry? And should I seriously be thinking about buying a $1000 professional lens to use with my entry-level DSLR? :P

I'd appreciate any and all insights you could give me, and I'd be very interested in hearing personal stories, if you don't mind sharing. Thanks!

[acedrew]

Find someone to work with that specializes in the genres you're interested in! And yes, $1000 lenses on entry level cameras do make sense, cameras will always improve, but optics are limited by physics, 5 years is a long time in camera models, but you'll rarely see more than 1 revision of a lens in the same amount of time. I love this guide: Photography (Basic) - Introduction to photography and other graphic techniques it says basic, but it covers the physics of photography very well. Learn how to apply everything in that book/guide using your camera, and you'll have most of the technical needs taken care of.

Good Luck!
Andrew Rodgers
Perfected Perspectives -- Photography by Andrew Rodgers | Andrew Rodgers (acedrew) on Twitter | http://fb.perfectedperspectives.com