How to Become an Environmental Photographer
- 1). Get an education at a school of photography or fine art. While environmental photography is often topical and related to journalism, your abilities in composition, framing and color theory will be important in creating images that are memorable and effective.
- 2). Build a portfolio of your best work to show to potential clients. Create a physical portfolio as well as an online portfolio in the form of a website. Only put your best work into these portfolios. A small portfolio of outstanding work will serve you better than a large collection of mediocre work.
- 3). Constantly educate yourself about advances in photographic equipment and technology. Maintain subscriptions to photography magazines that focus on your specialties. Buy the best equipment you can afford and treat it well.
- 4). Submit your best work to magazines, web sites and book publishers who specialize in outdoor, wilderness and environmental photography. Once you have developed a working relationship with a few of these publishers, you will have the foundations of a sound career. Don't be discouraged when your work is rejected; in a field as competitive as this, rejection doesn't mean that your work is bad.
- 5). Review your work and track your own development as an artist. Pay close attention to changes in your technique and subject matter, and direct these changes to improve your work. If you feel yourself drawn to specializing in wildlife, aerial or underwater photography, focus on this field and excel in it.
