How To Become A Professional Photographer From Home?

1. Learn the Basics
2. Become Professional in Approach

PART 1:- Learn the Basics

1. ISO: Basically, it means the sensibility of the camera sensor to the light. The more the ISO is, the greater is the amount of light captured by the sensor. As ISO is increased, there comes more Noise into the photo. Naturally, at ISOs around 3200 or 6400, the image becomes a little bit noisy, though in good and expensive cameras it gives crystal clear images even at higher ISOs.
   
2. Aperture: It means the opening diameter of a lens?s diaphragm. It is expressed as f-number or f-stop. The greater the number will be, the smaller the aperture will be and subsequently lesser amount of light will come in and vice versa. There is another function of the aperture which controls DOF or Depth of Field, or in simple language background blur. As we increase the f-number, DOF will increase & the background will be clearer but to increase background blur we have to decrease the f-number. (A pro tip:- During shooting landscape, where you want increased DOF, try to keep aperture between f8 to f11. Increasing it to a very high number like f22 may cause diffraction, thus decreasing your image sharpness.)
   
3. Shutter speed: It is the amount of time the shutter is open, allowing light to come in. More the shutter speed, there comes less light to the camera sensor and vice versa. Another attribute of shutter speed is that, as we increase its number there is less motion blur and we get freeze motion & as we decrease it, we get a blurred and smooth image. Imagine shooting a fountain with high and low shutter speeds! These 3 elements control the amount of light that falls on the sensor and decide how the picture will appear. They together make the Exposure triangle. Professional photographers make an excellent balance between these to capture a stunning image!

Develop Perspective: 

1. Explore different angles: Try to take pictures from different angles, don?t shoot everything at eye level. Shift your position to different places, bend a little, lie down, lift your camera and try all the possible positions and angles to get the best shot. 
   
2. Use different techniques: Experiment with your techniques while you shoot. Use the Bokeh effect, use reflections, use different light sources, etc. to make your photo beautiful. You may try the different effects that are available in your camera, sometimes they give the image an extra touch.
   
3. Shoot in Golden Hour: Another thing to keep in mind, when you?re a beginner in photography, that probably you don?t have a studio or artificial light sources. Try to shoot in natural light sources and try to shoot in Golden Hour, i.e., in the early mornings and late afternoons when Sun gives the perfect exposure for taking pictures.
   

1. Rule of Thirds: A very common rule that tells you to divide your image into 9 equal parts by imaginary horizontal and vertical lines and keep the main subject at the intersection points. The horizon should be near the lower horizontal line.
   
2. Centered Composition: Keeping your subject at the intersection points of the thirds doesn?t always produce perfect images. Sometimes you have to keep it in the central position to hold all the focus on the subject and keeping it in contrast to the background (especially in the case of portraits).
   
3. Symmetry: Try to find some symmetry or reflection in your images. These things give the image a stunning and premium look. Symmetry may be vertical or horizontal but the subject should be in the center.
   
4. Leading Lines: This is basically some converging imaginary lines present in a frame that captures the sight of the viewers at the point where they meet.
   
5. Foreground Interest: It complements the scene, making it more dynamic from the foreground to the midground and finally to the background.
   
6. Focal Length: Control your focal length wisely as it not only brings your subject in focus or sharpens your image, but blurs out the unimportant objects or backgrounds. So, it attributes to the meaning of the image to a great extent.
   
7. Break the Rules: This paradoxical statement is not for confusing you, it is only to make you understand the magnitude of photography. As you become aware and used to all the rules and techniques of photography, you can manipulate them to make even better photos depending upon your expertise.

PART 2:- Become Professional in Approach

Create a Portfolio:

1. Built a Network: Don?t be shy or afraid to reach out to people, it will help you to get in contact with more clients and also show your professionalism.
2. Find a niche: At first, try to shoot in every genre, observe your expertise and interest in a particular field, and then narrow down your interest to a specific niche.
3. Marketing: Learn to market your work, take a marketing course if you can. Create a brand for your work. Use freelancing platforms to get clients who can hire you as a part-time photographer. 
4. Showcase your work: Never hesitate to exhibit your works publicly, keeping in mind the issue of the copyright claim, of course!