So You’re About to Become a “Brand New Photographer”… and You Don’t Even Know It Yet

(10 Things You Absolutely Need to Know Before You Unleash Free Sessions All Over Charleston)

Ah, yes. It’s the holiday season in the Lowcountry. The Spanish moss is glistening, the Cooper River Bridge is photobombing half of Instagram, and somewhere in Goose Creek, your sweet, well-intentioned significant other is secretly Googling: “Best camera for new photographers – Christmas gift – cheapish but looks expensive.”

And boom. By New Year’s Day, you’re a photographer. Congratulations. You didn’t choose the shutter life — the shutter life chose you.

Before you grab that shiny new camera, throw together a free Wix website with stock photos of models who have definitely never set foot in South Carolina, and proceed to book 47 free mini sessions at Wannamaker Park… STOP. Take a breath. Here are 10 things you absolutely must know before you accidentally tank your dreams, your wallet, and the sanity of every established photographer from Summerville to Sullivan’s Island.

1. You Actually Do Need to Learn Your Camera. Yes… the WHOLE Thing.

You can’t “wing it” on manual at Waterfront Park with a Charleston sunset behind your clients. If you don’t know ISO from “I guess I’ll fix it in Lightroom,” buckle up. Start with YouTube. Or classes. Or anything that prevents you from photographing a family at Magnolia Gardens at f/1.2 with 12 people in the frame and only the azalea bush in focus.

2. You’re Going to Take Some Awful Photos at First — That’s Normal

We’ve all got that early photo of someone standing in front of the Ravenel Bridge looking like a shadowy witness in a crime documentary. It’s fine. Just don’t post it saying “BOOKING NOW — LIMITED SPOTS!!” Practice on your dog, your kid, your neighbor, your neighbor’s dog — just not paying clients. Not yet.

3. Free Sessions? Sure. But Don’t Burn Charleston to the Ground With Them.

You’ll be tempted to flood every Facebook group from Nextdoor Carnes Crossroads to “Summerville, SC Moms” with your “FREE Christmas Minis – TODAY ONLY!!” Do it sparingly. Do it intentionally. Do it somewhere that isn’t Azalea Park at 3 p.m. in full sun where every other new photographer is fighting for the one good patch of shade.

4. Shooting in Charleston Means Learning the Charleston Lighting

Golden hour hits different here. And by different, I mean it vanishes in 11 seconds because that giant Southern oak tree blocks it right as your client blinks. Scout your locations. Folly, Pitt Street Bridge, Rainbow Row, Cypress Gardens — they all have unique lighting nightmares waiting for you.

5. Stop Using the Kit Lens After Week Three

Look, that 18-55mm did its best, bless its heart. But if you want to be taken seriously before June, invest in a nifty fifty (50mm). It’s the Goose Creek starter pack of all budding photographers.

6. Do NOT Use the Stock Photos From Your Website Template

If your homepage shows a couple frolicking through lavender fields in France, and the most exotic place you’ve shot so far is Target in North Charleston… it’s misleading. Also, Google knows. And your clients will know. And the photography world will roast you like a pecan praline at the City Market.

7. The Fastest Way to Kill Your Photo Dream in Under Six Months? Burnout.

Shooting for free, editing for hours, undercharging, delivering 800 images per session, and pricing your minis at $25 with “all images included.” Stop it. Charge something. Anything. Even $50. It teaches boundaries AND pays for your gas to Mount Pleasant.

8. Things New Photographers Do That Drive Pros Completely Insane

Let’s just… be aware:

• Charging $40 for a 2-hour session with 200 edited images

• Working as an unlicensed business

• Announcing “I’m now offering weddings!” after photographing exactly two dogs and one cousin

• Leaving a trashy mess in our green spaces after that gender-reveal session 

• Asking for camera settings in local groups while standing in front of the clients

• Turning raw files into neon, crunchy, ultra-HDR chaos

• Watermarking every photo like you’re Banksy

Pro photographers everywhere — Charleston, Goose Creek, Daniel Island, Hanahan — we beg you: don’t.

9. Before You’re a “Real Business,” Act Like One Anyway

You don’t need to be an LLC on day one, but you do need:

• Consistent effort

• Clear communication

• A way to deliver photos

• A way to back them up (because Lowcountry humidity will eat your hard drive alive)

• Some understanding of copyright

• A plan that isn’t “winging it until I get rich”

Do the boring stuff early. Future-You will thank you.

10. Most Importantly: Slow Down and Build Something Sustainable

Charleston wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a photography business. Take the classes. Learn the light. Build a portfolio. Listen to critique (from people other than your grandma). Grow intentionally, not chaotically.

The Lowcountry is FULL of photographers — but there’s always room for one more who knows what they’re doing. And when you do finally post your work proudly from your Goose Creek driveway studio, or a breathtaking session on IOP, or a dreamy portrait session in downtown Charleston… you’ll be glad you didn’t try to become an overnight success just because a shiny new camera fell into your lap on Christmas morning.