The 7 Stages of a Photographer’s Development

Many photographers see photography as a lifestyle. Every photographer got their start somewhere. Their skills develop over time and are still evolving. What stage are you in? In this article, we’ll walk you through the different stages and show you where you can go next.

Let’s take a look at the stages of a photographer’s development. You may be surprised at what stage you find yourself in, and where you can still go. 

Non-photographer

A non-photographer is anyone who primarily uses a mobile phone to take photos. This type of photographer relies on automatic settings, is not overly interested in the aesthetic side of photography, and is unfamiliar with concepts like composition or photo editing.  

The photographer who takes pictures of everything

A photographer who takes pictures of everything is an amateur who gets excited about anything new in the field of photography. They have learned basic photography concepts and are familiar with aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. 

This type of photographer does it all—landscapes, portraits, and close-ups. They are obsessed with shallow depths of field and always strive for better and better technique. They believe that better technique results in better photos.  

Photo editing software is not foreign to photographers at this stage. They know what exposure, brightness, and contrast can do to a photo. They also use different types of camera filters, but often overdo the editing because they don’t have a sense for when it’s enough.  

Each photo is an experiment in trial and error. In principle, photographers at this stage can take photos, but the result is still unpredictable. If you have someone like this in your circle, be patient with them. They’re learning and enjoying their new hobby.  

Instagram photographer

A social media presence for photographers is standard these days. For Instagram photographers, content and message are more important than technical skills. Instagram photographers often use basic composition, camera filters, and post-processing.  

You can find many selfies on the profiles of Instagram photographers. This is where model-photographers have a good command of posing and angles at which they take the photo. They work with lighting intuitively to make them look the best. Of course, these model-photographers aren’t only women.   

I also include YouTubers at this stage. They set up their studio to look their best and they work with composition and space. Quality seems to come second at this stage. The most important thing is the message. It can be a joke, showing something off, or presenting a product.   

Student photographer 

Most photography enthusiasts that started out taking pictures of everything land in this stage. They begin to gradually specialize in a particular genre, like documentary, landscape, or wedding photography.   

Generally, these include young people who go on to study photography and further develop their talent. The myth that studying photography destroys and doesn’t develop talent is just a myth. The phenomenon is more likely to manifest itself in a group of amateur photographers.  

Photographers at this stage start following the advice of more experienced colleagues and learn the proper techniques. However, even this has its pitfalls. Often the results of these photographers are similar and lose any kind of signature style.

Value-added photographer

This is another imaginary stage of photography. These are very experienced photographers who can read a scene and compose a photo very well. These include photographers who make a living with photography, or photographers renowned in their field. They produce high-quality images that are well processed in post-production.   

Photographer with their own signature style

This type of photographer already has their own, instantly recognizable style. This is the main difference between the previous stage of photographer and photographers with a signature style. The most important aspect is that a photographer with their own signature style has something to say, something they want to draw attention to.  

This type of photographer is not afraid to break the rules if it contributes to the quality of their message. They are not bound by rules but work intuitively and experiment with form.

Photography legend

You don’t become a legend overnight. The people who are drawn to your photography make you a legend. For example, curators of various institutions and people who come to your exhibitions and share your work. Documentaries are made about photography legends. Global photography legends include Henri Cartier Bresson, Richard Avedon, Robert Capa, Helmut Newton, Andreas Gursky, Martin Parr, and others. 

Photography legends in the Czech Republic include Josef Koudelka, Jindřich Streit, Libuše Jarcováková, and many others.

What stage do you find yourself in and where do you see yourself a few years from now? Who do you consider a photography legend?