Why It’s Good to have Photographer Friends

Often photography is a solo experience. Being alone with my camera is one of the things I love most in life, but sometimes it’s great to have photographer friends.

Enjoying photography in the company of one or more friends is good for many reasons. You can:

• Bounce ideas around
• Share images you’re proud of
• Seek feedback when something goes wrong
• Use each other’s equipment
• Inspire each other
• Learn together
• Teach one another
• Boost each other’s social media profiles

If there are other good reasons you know of, please leave them in the comments below once you’ve finished reading.

Whether you’re a casual hobbyist or a dedicated professional, being friends with other photographers can help you to grow. In this article, I’d like to share some ideas and experiences to encourage you to build friendships with other photographers.

Photographer Friends Talk the Talk

I’ve had non-photographer friends tell me they can’t understand what I’m talking about when I’m having a conversation with a photographer friend. It’s like speaking a foreign language because there can be so much jargon involved.

When I write about photography, I avoid using jargon as much as possible. This is because an article full of jargon can be more difficult for readers to understand. This is especially so for beginner photographers and those who have English as a second language.

Having friends who understand photography vocabulary brings more depth to your conversations. Digging into the different technical approaches we use when taking pictures, you can learn a lot from a friend.

Try talking to a non-photographer about obtaining the correct light balance in your images, and the conversation may not last long.

Creatively Inspire Each Other

Photographers are usually looking for inspiration to take better pictures. We all want to make our best photo and have someone to talk about it with.

Being in the company of other photographers will encourage you to take better photos. Seeing how other photographers work, you can learn new techniques and ways of seeing. 

Talk together about how you compose your photos. Compare how you choose your exposure settings. This can help you develop fresh ways of thinking about photography. You will start to see things in different ways.

As a beginner photographer, I had two good friends who also loved taking photos and were more experienced than I was. Going out together with our cameras was a huge inspirational time for me. I could watch them and ask questions about how they were taking their photos. 

Later, when we would talk together about the photos we’d taken, I was able to learn even more about the process.

Talking with photographers who have less experience is an opportunity to inspire others. Teaching someone else what you know will often reveal more about what you don’t know. Use this experience as inspiration to grow as a photographer.

How To Meet Photography Friends

When you own a camera, there are many new ways you can make friends.

Build on friendships you already have with other camera owners. Get to know them better by connecting with them through your common interest in photography. Share about what you enjoy and encourage them to do the same. 

Plan to go out together to take photos. Arrange for a small group of friends to meet somewhere with the purpose of taking photos together. This is a great way to build relationships with people you already know.

Participating in a common activity can bring out the best in many photographers. I prefer a non-competitive environment where friends are encouraging and positive about sharing what you do and how you do it.

Having some purpose for a planned photograph season and some guidelines can help people come together. This is a helpful way to develop new friendships through photography.

When you get together with friends to take photos, choose a topic or theme to work on. Having a unified purpose will help you continue in a positive direction.

Camera Clubs and Meetups

Look for camera clubs and Meetups in your area. Many communities have regular gatherings of photographers who love getting together. Depending on where you live, there may be various options for clubs or meetups you could join.

Visit as many as you care to once or twice to get a feel for the type of group it is. In some groups, the conversation can be very camera-centric. Other times the environment is super competitive. If you can’t find a group you feel comfortable with or like the style of, you can always start your own.

Jumping online is the easiest way to find photography groups. Search for photography clubs, groups, societies, or meetups in your local area. Go along, join in, and get to know people. In no time at all, you are sure to find other like-minded photographers who enjoy taking photos of the same subjects you do.

Participate in Online Groups and Communities

There are so many ways to build online friendships with other photographers.

Some social platforms for photography offer diverse opportunities for you to meet others with the same passion. You may not be able to ever meet them in person or go out together to take photos but don’t let this hinder you. Building online relationships with other photographers is a factor of the modern world we live in. Take a look at photography-sharing websites like 500px. They have whole areas of their websites dedicated to getting photographers interacting.

Finding an online community of photographers where you feel safe and confident is key. Be involved. Share your photos. Ask questions. Read a lot. Leave comments. The more you begin to interact, the more likely it is others will connect with you.

Start Making New Friends Today

Making new friends takes some effort. For shy people, it’s always more of a challenge. 

Start by having photography focused conversations with other people you know who have cameras. It’s not difficult to build a conversation with someone when you know what they enjoy is the same as you.

Find groups, either local or online. Become a part of a group or a few. Seek out other like-minded people. Do you love talking about your camera? Find others who do too. Do you prefer to not talk so much, but just go out together and take photos? Then find others who prefer this type of interaction.

Work at finding photographer friends, and I am sure you’ll be surprised at how easy and how beneficial it is.

We have a vibrant and growing group that is positively focused and very well moderated. It’s a great place to come and share your photography and meet others from all around the world with a similar passion.