How to get started as a Photographer

                            Quite often, I have had  friends come up to me concerning their passion and interest in photography because they don’t know how to go about it. Well, it’s understandable how difficult it might seem trying to venture into a new field as this. And because I am passionate about this subject, I have decided to help by writing this article as a beginning in a series to follow thereafter. I am therefore going to be talking about the necessary things that will be required to get started and get working.

                            

             My first interest is of course to differentiate between between  a  genuine passion and an ordinary desire to snap good pictures. If the it’s the former, I immediately fall in line with  the passion but if its contrary, I simply advice the person to go and buy a good phone like iphone 5s  and start snapping the dogs and goats in his neighborhood . By implication, what I am saying is that the first thing needed in order to get started is your passion and not a camera. Yes, not  the other way round. Passion is what gets us going weeks and months after we have started something new. I remember when I started running marathon for money. After participating in 3 marathons, I gave up on my dream of being an Olympic marathoner due to frustration of always never winning.

                                   Now that passion is in place, then the next thing is to get a good gear. And by good I mean something durable, affordable and professional. There are numerous camera brands like Cannon, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic, Fuji Film, Kodak, Olympus, Sigma, Pentax, etc. The list is almost inexhaustible. Though the two most popular brand in the world are Nikon and Cannon, my favorite camera brand is Nikon. That doesn’t imply that it is the best but I prefer it because of its simplicity in terms of its usage and because it offers a wide range of choices when it comes to the issue of lens. You definitely won’t need the more expensive cameras that could cost as much as #5,000,000 (over $32,000). Go for something in that is price friendly  that will give you  good productivity.

                                 No matter the camera you are going for, always ensure that it is a Digital Single-lens Reflex Camera (also called a digital SLR or a DSLR). They are cameras which combine the optics and mechanisms of a single –lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor. This is far-far different from the old photographic film that was in use then. I will be listing some DSLR from Nikon brand that belong  to the Nikon DX series. Though they are not as good as the high end professional cameras in the Nikon FX series, they are good in their own category and could be over 100% cheaper. Since I don’t shoot with Cannon, I don’t have much information about cannon DSLR. So if you are a lover of the other brands, I am sorry to disappoint you, but you can still find a Nikon camera in the list to suit your needs.

                                The factor most people consider most when choosing a camera anywhere in the world (especially here in Nigeria) is the price. So here is a list of some Nikon DSLR that fall into the price friendly zone as well as being a professional starter kit. 

1.      Nikon D3100 – This camera comes with a 18-55mm Kit lens, 14.2MP sensor, HD Video 1080p.This camera goes for a price of #77,500 ( approx. $500)        
2.  Nikon D3200 – Comes with a 18-55mm kit lens, 24.2MP, HD Vide: 1080p. This camera is sold for about #93,000($600) 
3.     Nikon D90 – This was the first camera to be equipped with HD video recording. It comes with a 18-105mm kit lens. This is slightly of better performance than the more typical 18-55mm I lens. It has a 12.3MP sensor and is sold at about #130,000 (approx. $870). 
4.     Nikon D5000 – This camera has a 12.3MP sensor. It comes with a 18-55mm kit lens and currently sells for #95,945 ($619)on www.amazon.com 
5.    Nikon D5100 – This camera has a 16.2MP sensor with a 18-55mm kit lens. Currently, it sells for #107,880 ($696) on www.amazon.com          
6.   Nikon D5200 – This is a 24.1MP camera with the typical 18-55mm kit lens. It is sold for #115,630 ( $746)  
7.    Nikon D7000 – A 16.2MP camera. First produced in 2010, comes with a18-105mm kit lens and its price is slightly above #200,000($1,295).

                  Prices listed are what obtains in most online retail stores and depending on where you are buying, expect slight variation in prices. Similarly, be careful of where you are buying from because it might be more important than what you are buying.But Peradventure one’s wallet gives a constraint, there are still lower end Nikon DSLR that can still be purchased. Most of them sell for below #70,000 ($450) but don’t expect their performance to be equivalent to the above listed cameras. Some of them include D40, D40X, D50, D70, D80, D100, and D200. Depending on whatever your requirements are, a  great camera is always a good way to start. One’s you have a  good camera then the next thing is to know what to do with it and that requires developing  the necessary skills.

                         Photography is an interesting field that one can venture into provided one is willing to invest money into the purchase of equipment. Apart from that, it takes serious patience and practice to move from a novice to being a professional and this requires getting real knowledge. Majority of the concepts that forms the foundation of photography have to be learnt from training and reading and can only be perfected by the mistakes one makes while working in the field. I remember when i started photography years back. I won’t consider myself a photographer then but someone only taking pictures because I never understood basic concepts. Basic things such as exposure triangle meant nothing to me. I won’t be surprised if I see numerous professional photographers who don’t even understand it. They only know that a picture is white (over exposure) and a picture is dark (under exposure). As normal as that is, i am not happy about it. It can be likened to a doctor who cannot explain how the human body works but is very good when it comes to prescribing drugs.

                                          What I am saying is that you won’t go too far in the field of photography whether as a hobbyist or a professional if you lack knowledge of  principles such as lightening, composition, camera and light setup etc. This is what brings the difference between a Kelechi Amadi Obi  or a Jerry Ghionis and an average photographer. Knowledge is not power, only applied knowledge is power. Develop a genuine passion, invest in good gears, increase your knowledge and I assure you that the sky will be your starting point.