There are a few different kinds of photography you can focus on in your studies. Perhaps the two most prominent categories are digital and film. You may be more familiar with a digital camera, which uses a memory card to store photos. Film cameras, on the other hand, require you to develop film to see the images you captured. Once you decide on the type of camera you want to use, you can then specialize in a niche. Portrait photography involves taking pictures of people and may include taking headshots or full body shots in an attempt to highlight the subject’s personality. Sports photography is when you snap shots of players on the field, while still life photography is when you capture an inanimate object. You may even be interested in fashion photography, which involves taking pictures of models in glamorous settings.

The rule of thirds is a way to organize the composition of your photo. It involves strategically centering objects over an imaginary grid of nine squares. Some viewfinders come with this grid overlay to make placing the subject in your shot easier. If yours doesn’t, just imagine there’s an invisible grid of nine squares over your image. Your goal is to set the point of interest in your photo at the intersection of two of those lines. This balances out the image and draws the eye toward the subject. It can be tempting to just put the subject in the middle of the shot, but that’s actually counterintuitive to the way we view images. The rule of thirds follows the belief that most people’s eyes drift to these corners, so you might as well center your subject there to make them a focal point.

Photographers may work independently as freelancers or as salaried employees in a variety of settings. Photojournalists document newsworthy events, people, and places for a variety of outlets. Fine art photographers sell their work to clients such as architects and galleries or for use in public spaces like libraries and government buildings. Commercial photographers create images used in advertisements, catalogs, magazines, or other media with subjects like models, landscapes, and merchandise. Industrial photographers generally work onsite to create images of machinery and equipment and the people who use them. Finally, studio or portrait photographers take photographs of individuals or groups in a studio space or on location at events such as weddings, religious functions, or at schools. In addition to taking photos, studio and portrait photographers are also small business owners responsible for advertising, bookkeeping, and the mounting and framing of their work.

Learning photography can lead to a rewarding and lifelong hobby, or it could be the basis of a lucrative career. Creating an image that is beautiful and compelling or communicates an important idea or concept can be one of the most satisfying artistic endeavors. There’s a reason people say a picture is worth a thousand words. Photography requires a creative and imaginative personality, a desire to convey information or emotion meaningfully, and strict attention to composition and detail. Patience is necessary when gathering all the elements of a great photograph, whether it be waiting for the right light or for aligning your subject matter with other visual elements in just the right way to make a memorable and engaging image. Above all, it’s important to have a passion for communicating thoughts, feelings, or critical details precisely and clearly and a desire to share your artistic vision with the world around you.