Start With Family and Friends: Advice for New Photographers
When you’re just starting out as a photographer, it’s easy to think you need to book paying clients right away. I get asked about this a lot on our Instagram, usually by folks a few months into their journey who feel behind. So here’s the advice I give every time: one of the best things you can do is start by photographing your family and friends.
Why? Because they give you something incredibly valuable. The freedom to learn.
The people who believed in me first
Years ago I decided to fundamentally change my photography. I’d been locked into photojournalism, and I wanted to get into portraits. My family and friends were there for me during that transition. They let me experiment with lighting, try new poses, and make mistakes, all while I figured out what works, without the pressure of delivering perfection to a paying client.
Every one of those sessions gave me a chance to improve everything about my photography, from camera settings all the way down to storytelling. Every professional started somewhere, and for many of us, that journey began with the people who believed in us first.
You’re learning people, not just a camera
Photographing people you know builds a specific skill that no tutorial teaches: directing a human being. The more you direct subjects, the more natural you become when a stranger steps in front of your lens. You’re not just learning how to use your camera. You’re learning how to make people feel comfortable in front of it.
That second skill is the one clients actually pay for later. I’ve written before about how everybody, and I mean everybody, is a little bit insecure in front of the camera. The patience and empathy that manage that insecurity get built on your aunt’s porch, not in a gear forum.
And don’t underestimate the value of the photos themselves. Years from now, those images of holidays and everyday moments become some of the most meaningful photographs you’ll ever take. Nobody regrets having photographed their family too much.
Three lessons I wish someone handed me sooner
While we’re here, a few more things I’d tell my younger self:
- Shoot with intention, not volume. Early on it’s easy to rapid-fire hundreds of frames hoping something lands. Slowing down and asking why you’re pressing the shutter before you press it builds a much stronger photographic eye. The best street and wildlife photographers are legendary for their restraint. They wait for the decisive moment rather than spraying and praying.
- The best camera is the one you actually use. Don’t wait for your dream gear. Some of the most meaningful photographs are made with whatever camera is in your hands at the moment. Gear matters far less than you think, and almost every working photographer looks back wishing they’d spent less time obsessing over equipment and more time shooting.
- Find community and share your work early, even when it scares you. Most photographers wish they’d put their work into the world much sooner. Feedback, even critical feedback, accelerates growth faster than any tutorial. A local camera club, a guild like Professional Photographers of Central Florida, or just a trusted group of peers creates accountability and exposes blind spots you can’t see on your own.
The photographers who improve fastest aren’t the ones with the best gear or the most natural talent. They’re the ones who shoot consistently, reflect honestly, and stay curious long after the initial excitement fades.
Grab your camera
So if you’re at the start of your journey: grab your camera, ask your family and friends to sit for you, and make the most of those opportunities. Every great career is built one photograph at a time, and the first hundred of mine were of people who loved me enough to be patient while I figured it out.
And if you’re on the other side of this, someone who’d rather be in the photos than take them, that’s my job. Book a session. Pottinger Studios provides photography services across Orlando, Winter Park, Lake Mary, Kissimmee, and the rest of Central Florida.