The FIRST Step To Becoming A Professional Photographer Is...

I'm ashamed to say that when I first made the jump into the professional photographer world I got a little arrogant. I mean, how dare someone else even think about becoming a professional photographer! Just because YOU have a camera and a passion for photography (like I do) doesn't mean you should pursue it (like I did)! Go ahead, call me a hypocrite if you want...I deserve it. At least I did at the time.

One of my mentors, Jay Johnson (right), and me

As long as I can remember I've had a desire to help people. I know that may sound contrary to my statement above and I think I'll credit it to my upbringing as I have great, loving parents.  What does THAT have to do with taking your first step to becoming a professional photographer? Well, I want to help YOU and, if you're serious about professional photography, your first step needs to be to find a mentor.

Not just any mentor, but a "M.E.N.T.O.R."

Mature - Your mentor needs to have a level of maturity you are comfortable with. I'm a funloving guy. Joking around and keeping things light helps me stay sane. However, when it's time to do business I'm serious. If you're looking at photography as a means to make a living, your mentor needs to appreciate that and take you seriously.

Engaging - You don't want to be bored. While part of your responsibility in this relationship is to stay focused and learn, your mentor has a responsibility to keep you engaged. Not making you do silly things without a point. Your mentor doesn't need to just recommend article to read. He or she needs to help you apply what you've read. Big difference.

Nurturing - Mentors need to help you grow.  This characteristic ties in to all others.  You want to be a photographer at a professional level. Your mentor needs to nurture that. Help you along the way.

Teaching - Learning is the motivation behind this whole relationship, is it not? What good is a mentor if you have questions and are told to just figure things out on your own?  I'm not saying that approach has no value in certain circumstances, but if your mentor is not an effective teacher, why are you even there?

Open - By open I mean open with you. If you take some of your photos to your mentor for review, your mentor needs to be open and honest with you about his or her opinion. Not only does his opinion need to be stated, but the reasons behind the opinion as well.  If the picture is awful, you need to know why. If it's great, you need to know why. This is when you need to have thick skin and your mentor needs to not care (too much) about your feelings. You WILL NOT GROW as a photographer without this type of communication.  I'm sorry, but "Facebook likes" aren't an acceptable form of critique here.

Respectable - You will want a mentor who communicates openly with clients about ability, pricing, style, products, time frames, etc.  Photography is fun and cool, but when people hire you they will be hiring you to capture something that is an important milestone in their lives with a lot of emotion attached to it.  You are not just there to take pictures, you are there to capture a moment.

Once you have someone in mind who can meet those needs, reach out to them. If you're not comfortable reaching out yourself, maybe ask someone else to reach out for you. I say "maybe" because I personally think you should contact your potential mentor on your own.  If/when you jump into the pro world you're going to be both your marketing team and your sales force. You need to get used to talking to people you don't know. The worst thing a potential mentor can say to you is "no." If that's the case, move on and don't take it personally.

Another thing, expect a little trade in this arrangement.  Your mentor will be passing on skills and knowledge that have taken a significant amount of time and money to learn.  Be prepared to assist your mentor in some way without any expectation of monetary compensation. You will learn an invaluable amount of information.

The photographers I know, myself included, would be flattered to be asked to be a mentor.  If you have questions about photography or are looking for a mentor please let me know. My e-mail address is ande@geminimm.com and my phone number is (901) 213-7890. I'll help however I can!