Tips From the Pros: How to Make it as a Style Photographer

The Internet is filled with stunning photographs of stylish people for us to analyze and reblog over and over again. Many of us admire these flicks because of the subjects in them, with their symmetric faces complementing their dapper garb, but these subjects wouldn't look so good without the people behind the camera. If you're one of those boneheads who think you can practice photography by taking an Instagram selfie, you better look for a different kind of art form.

The following photographers, who have been featured in countless publications and sites, found their niche and turned their passion into a living. And while you can read books and watch videos about aperture to try and learn the craft, getting some insight from some of the best could get you heading in the right direction. So grab your pops' old SLR and check out Tips From the Pros: How to Make it as a Style Photographer.

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How I Got Started: "I pretty much just took a photo 101 class back in college and started taking photos more seriously as I started my blog—a way to document my cool finds and style on the street."

Tip to Get Started: "Photograph the things you love. Don't photograph to please others. Take a photo if you need to. Follow your gut. Take another if necessary. Know when to stop. Know when you've got the shot. I started out shooting everything and nothing at all, but later realized I had to follow my gut instinct and fire when necessary."

How I Got Started: "Photography gives me the opportunity to share my unique perspective on what's currently happening in fashion. Things are changing rapidly and it's gratifying to document each moment of it."

Tip to Getting Started: "Be consistent, stick to your vision, experiment as much as possible, and never sit and wait."

How I Got Started: "I actually got into photography through mountain biking. My teenage years were spent flying off dirt jumps or competing in downhill races. I started when I was really young, like 12, because there was a gang of guys around my neighborhood who were doing it. We had a really solid crew and around the time when I was 16 and my friends were starting to do backflips and win national races, it struck me as odd that nobody was documenting it. So I started stealing my dad's old cameras—film, digital, whatever—and sneaking them down to the jumps and out to the races. I became "that guy" with the camera. Someone had to capture this insane, scatterbrained subculture we'd become a part of and I wanted to take that job on.

"I banged myself up pretty terribly one race and wasn't able to ride my bike for six months. That was the end of the world to me. With nothing else to do, I started shooting portraits of my friends, and somehow tied in my love of fashion with that. Eventually, it all came together. I've always been much more interested in documenting culture than anything else, regardless of what aspect of culture I'm covering."

Tip to Getting Started: "Only put up work that you'd pin to your fridge, so to speak. Only hits. Even if it means posting less, your work looks incredible if you don't have a single mediocre photo in the set. That's the way to do it. Never compromise, ever."

How I Got Started: "I first started taking photographs going into high school. I was really into graffiti at the time. The camera was really just a device for me to document what my friends and I were tagging. We were just kids looking to have fun, with no artistic intention. I would buy disposable cameras (they were really light to carry around), and then made 4x6 prints once I went through the roll. Eventually, illegal activities and the disposable cameras evolved into a Nikon F1, and Art School in Philadelphia.

"For inspiration, it varies. I'm always paying attention to light during the different times of day and the way it hits different surfaces. I'm constantly at book stores flipping through different art books/magazines. It's important to stay current and see who art directors and photo directors are hiring. I've been really into Boo George and Guy Bourdin's photography work lately. My favorites are the more classical photographers."

Tip to Getting Started: "To someone who's looking to become a professional photographer, I say, go to school in NYC, assist a professional photographer who can pay you, and don't limit yourself to just "street style" shots. There's no money in it (Tommy Ton took it all). Take pictures of everything and anything. Also, just have fun with it. SEE NEW THINGS, take road trips, and explore. It's unfortunate because I feel like a lot of kids just sit in front of Tumblr and explore pictures of road trips other people take."

How I Got Started: "For me, photography started in 7th grade when I was lucky enough to have classes with a darkroom and access to cameras. Shooting and processing film at an early age made me fall in love with the act of capturing a moment. As my photography has changed, grown, and now switched to mostly digital, I still think that the underlying skills I picked up at an early age helped shape the way I shoot and compose shots."

How I Got Started: "I started in photography out of necessity. I'm a writer and was working on a book that was to include photos; random shots in the street, nothing fashion related. I ran into a few photographers, but quickly realized no one is going to have your level of passion for your project. So, I was forced into doing it myself. Street style came about maybe two years later when I saw some images in a magazine and felt no one was capturing what I wanted to see, so instead of complaining, I picked up my camera and decided to shoot. I wanted to capture style, not fashion, as it related to my own personal style."

Tip to Getting Started: "The one tip I give to those looking to get into photography is to have an idea of the niche you want to be in. The market is already saturated with good, mediocre, and bad photographers. Decide if you want to focus on fashion, portraits, architecture, etc., then find a specific niche within that field. No one wants another street style blog that shoots everything. If you decide to shoot street style, narrow it down as much as possible. Don't just shoot men; shoot men with bow-ties, or men with great kicks. The point is to carve out your own niche, otherwise you'll be second best in a niche that's already established. I focused on men when everyone was shooting men and women. The point is find what you're good at and master it."

How I Got Started: "I borrowed a friend's camera on a snow day and got to snapping."

Tip to Getting Started: "I'd suggest picking up a simple point-and-shoot camera at your local flea market. Makes for fun times and it's always a surprise when processing your film."

How I Got Started: "I got started accidentally. I had a Tumblr that, for some reason, kept getting more and more popular. As it added readers, I tried to step up the quality of my content. I have always been a bit smitten with women's fashion and the photographers who capture it, so I figured that would be a good place to see if I was any good."

Tip to Getting Started: "I think any young photographer should strive to develop a strong personal style.So much so that no matter where anyone sees your photo (and no matter how many nameless blogs strip your credit), they know it is one of yours. Get that and you are already halfway there."

How I Got Started: "I never had a clue what was in store for me as a finance major in college. I never liked to do art; I never thought I was capable. When I picked up a camera my junior year, I slowly became hooked. It wasn't enough to do full-time, but it turned into a gateway to my life now. After a two-year stint at Goldman Sachs, photography led me into a career in fashion. Here were are. I've had the amazing opportunity to contribute to GQ.com, shoot a campaign, and churn out a ton of images that show my growth as a photographer."

Tip to Getting Started: "My tip for anyone wanting to become great, which I haven't even achieved yet, is to adopt a policy of trial and error and hang around other photographers. I have read lots of things online from basic mechanics to understanding strobe photography. Nothing actually translates until you set yourself up to make real mistakes in the field. Bouncing ideas off other photographers and asking them how they do things really helps reduce the gaps in your knowledge base. Those are the things that have actually made me better over the years."