3 steps to build a photography career with an iPhone
A skilled photographer will utilize any camera at his or her disposal to capture that great shot, whether it’s a five-pound DSLR or an iPhone. If you think that just because a high-end camera is out of the question for you that you don’t have a chance at building a career as a photographer, then you’re truly missing out on a fantastic opportunity.
The cameras in our iPhones have become so powerful that you actually can make a career out of iOS photography. Dreamstime senior photo editor Constantin Opris has provided us with some tips on turning iPhone photography into a serious vocation. Here are three steps you can follow to get started, turning that iPhone’s camera into a tool for your next career.
First, study photo composition
Opris points out how important studying photograph composition is, whether you’re using a traditional camera or an iPhone.
Technique and composition are every photographer’s ABCs. After that comes work, creativity, and talent. The rules for photography remain the same with mobile, and of course these rules are hardly waiting to be broken. But one should know the rules in the first place, and only after that, feel free to break them if doing so is better for the final result.
As you learn technique and composition, you can start developing your own personal brand. In photography, it’s important to imbue your images with a unique style or vision. You can do this by utilizing a special technique, like a collage, color tone, or composition, or by the way you choose which subjects you photograph. This requires playing around and experimenting, of course, so have fun with it. Once you’ve come up with your personal brand, that will help an audience remember you and your style.
Second, utilize photography apps
When you’re using your iPhone as your main camera, you need to familiarize yourself deeply with the various software tools at your disposal. Learn as much as you can about them, mastering your use of such editing tools as Enlight and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Opris elaborates on just how important the right software is to your iPhone photography career.
When you say “mobile phone photography,” people often think about a heavily processed image. Mobile photos live in symbiosis with image editing apps, so the first thing to consider if you’re planning to have your phone as the main camera for taking photos is to know as much as you can about the best photo apps and master the use of them. In addition to editing apps, there are also apps where you can upload and sell your photos.
You can even incorporate how you use these apps into your personal brand. Perhaps you always use a particular choice in Filters for iPhone, for example. Once again, it’s essential to play around with the tools and learn their strengths and weaknesses.
Third, use social media to your advantage
Turning once again to Opris’ expertise, he points out just how crucial a social media presence is to your iPhone photography career:
You can’t be a well-known young photographer nowadays without having an online presence. Only a few photographers, if any, will become known without being connected to social media, without being followed, liked, shared and talked about online. So, you should be connected to every channel that might become a launching platform for your work.
Once you’ve set up all of your social media accounts, it’s time to start getting your work out there for others to notice. Be responsive to your audience, too, when they react to your artwork online. Be sure to respond to those who follow your work, thanking them and sharing their feedback with others. Remember, social media isn’t “a museum where people admire your work in silence.” Rather, it’s a medium for you to interact with your fans, learn from them, and grow.
Time to get started
With these three steps in mind, if you’re serious about becoming an iPhone photographer, there’s no better time than now to get started. Invest your time and energy into your art, and see how far it can take you. You may not be the next Ansel Adams, but who knows? You just might be. You’ll certainly never find out if you keep resting on your laurels, so start putting these tips to good use and develop your own identity as a professional photographer.
