Photographers have to stay on top of the trends.

Well, we’ve come to the end of our series of the 10 things every photography student should have. It’s been a great ride, and now you should be strapped with ammunition to go out there and professionally present yourself.

You have your business cards, an online presence, an elevator pitch, and much more! You’re well on your way to new clients, which will also help to fatten your portfolio with success stories, which will lead to more business!!

Even when you experience success, you must always stay on top of your craft. If you plan to be the best at what you do, learning is an ongoing thing.

Photoshop is constantly being improved, and people are always finding better ways to stand out. So it’s up to you to be the 1st to do something and make yourself unique.

Take classes in Photoshop to learn what’s new!

You may be able to ad a different style to your pictures just by learning one of the many techniques Photoshop has to offer. Go to photography conventions and trade shows. It’s a great place to network as well as stay on top of what’s new.

Take another photography class.

Even if you know how to use your camera while blindfolded, it’s always refreshing to go back to the basics. It may spark that initial love you felt when you knew you wanted to be a photographer, or it may simply be relaxing!

A great place to catch up on new trends and also learn other programs other than photography, is Lynda.com. I’ve gotten some great ideas from there, as well as learned a lot about other Creative Suite programs such as After Effects and Dreamweaver.

Teach a class!

By teaching others, you teach yourself as well, and you become twice as good with your skills as before. Plus others will look at you as a leader because you know what you’re talking about and you’re using your camera to make a living! That’s inspiring!

Now let’s revisit what you’ve learned.

These are the Top 10 things I believe every photography student should have:

1. A camera (of course 🙂 )
2. A website focusing on your portfolio
3. Business cards and letterhead
4. A hard copy of your portfolio
5. A professional-looking blog
6. Network consistently
7. Start a business
8. Assist and/or intern
9. A Memorable Elevator Speech
10. Never stop learning (education is imperative)

In the next series, we’ll go over how to use what you’ve learned in the top 10 things every photography student should have, to generate more clients and start getting more work! Until next time, keep shooting!