1. Build a Portfolio From Your Environment
Depending on the specific niche(s) of photography you desire to explore, you can probably start building your portfolio right now. Whether you’re pursuing photography as a therapeutic hobby or a professional business, being able to collate a body of work to track growth or pitch to potential clients is important. Some people talk themselves out of picking up a camera (or phone) to start shooting because they don’t believe they have access to spaces, places, or people. That most likely isn’t true!
Interested in capturing lifestyle portraits? Ask family members, friends at school, or even co-workers to be your first models.
Want to transition your love of eating good food to shooting it? Start by preparing a simple meal and look for a source of natural lighting to practice.
Have a dream of becoming a fashion photographer? Your best friend’s closet could be the first “showroom” you pull from!
I know this seems easier said than done, but to begin anything worthwhile requires audacity. You have to start from somewhere. For many of us, myself included, starting requires child-like imagination, a sprinkle of blissful ignorance, and watching different videos on Moment’s YouTube channel for bursts of inspiration.
Take, for example, these portraits I shot of a beautiful woman I met in my hometown on a random day of thrifting. Say hello to Robyn. Robyn and I connected over, trying to troubleshoot an old film camera I was interested in purchasing. Our conversation resulted in her expressing an interest in modeling and me remembering that I wanted to add fashion portraiture to my portfolio. We both had needs that we could help each other meet! I shot these images of Robyn on my Fujifilm X100V, in her home next to the balcony door, with items from her closet. This was my first time shooting fashion-focused images, and this was Robyn’s first time using this style. We spent $0 to achieve these images and look how they turned out.
Take a deep breath and use the world around you to start.