My Journey As A Young Photographer

Hey everyone, I'm Reddy_Flicks, a 14-year-old photographer. I never really expected photography to be my passion a few years ago. Not until one day, I saw my older brother’s camera just sitting around, collecting dust. That moment changed everything for me.

It all started with curiosity. My brother had a camera he no longer used, a Canon. I didn’t know anything about cameras at the time, but it looked cool, and I thought, “Why let it go to waste?” I didn’t take any classes or have anyone teach me. I had to figure it all out by myself. I watched YouTube videos, searched for tips online, and practiced every day after school. I’d shoot everything from flowers to random objects in my room, my brother dunking outside, my friends basketball team, and even my food sometimes. It wasn’t about being perfect. It was about learning, creating, and getting better one photo at a time.

At first, photography was just a hobby, but after a few months, I started hearing things like: “Yo, who took that pic?”, “Can you take one for me?”, “How much do you charge?" That’s when something clicked inside me. I realized I could turn this into something bigger, a passion I can make money out of.

I started offering to shoot for people for free at first, just to build up my portfolio. I did portraits, sports games, and photoshoots for my friends. I edited all the pictures myself, even if it meant staying up late. People began to notice the quality of my work, and slowly, I started getting paid gigs.

Getting to that first thousand bucks didn’t happen overnight. I had to grind. I made flyers, posted on Instagram, DM’d local players and teams, and asked people to tag me when they posted my photos.

I remember the first time I got paid, it was $25 for some baseball shots. It felt like a million bucks. After that, it was $50 for a group of people, $75 for a team shoot, and little by little, it added up. One day, I looked at my wallet, where I counted and realized: “I just made $1,000 doing something I love.”

That was a proud moment. Not because of the money, but because I built it myself. From nothing.

What I’ve Learned

• Start with what you have: I didn’t buy anything fancy. I used what was lying around and made the best of it.

• Teach yourself: You don’t need to wait for someone to show you the way. The internet is your teacher.

• Keep practicing: I took hundreds of photos before I got even one good shot. Don’t quit early.

• Sell Yourself To Other People: Let people know what you do. Share your work. Be confident.

• Be patient: Money and success come later. Focus on your craft first.