How to Start Photography: Begin with Intention, Not Gear
If you were starting photography from scratch, gearless, clueless, and a bit intimidated, where would you begin? How to start photography in 2026?
That’s the question I’ve been mulling over. And to get there, let me start with a little tale.
A Tale of Resistance
For almost as long as I’ve been making photographs, people have said to me, “Hey, you should make videos too!”
But I always resisted. “I can’t afford all the gear to get into video,” I’d tell them. “I spend all my money making stills.”
That was true for years. Cameras (and phones) kept getting better, and video became this cute little add-on feature that I mostly ignored. Until something shifted & I found the whole point of this post: intention.
Discovering Intention
For my photography, the goal was always clear. It was print.
Magazines, photo books, exhibitions; there’s nothing quite like seeing your work on a real-life page, out in the world. Print gave my photography purpose. It gave me a destination.
But for video? I couldn’t see it. I didn’t know why I’d bother. Until I did.
I started filming little behind-the-scenes clips while making my photographs, just on my phone at first, and suddenly I got it. Those clips helped friends connect more deeply with what I do. They gave me stories to share and conversations to start.
That tiny shift, doing it with a reason, not just because I “should”, changed everything.
Then, of course, I bought a new mirrorless camera with LOG capability and dove straight into the deep, overwhelming rabbit hole of video production.
And that’s when it hit me: this is exactly how photography feels for beginners.
You want to start, you’re excited, but suddenly you’re drowning in lenses, megapixels, acronyms, and advice.
So, where do you actually begin?
Start with Intention, Not Gear
Before you buy a camera, before you learn what ISO stands for, start with one question:
Why do I want to make photographs?
It’s a deceptively simple question and most people skip it.
We make photographs to remember things. To document the world as we see it. They become our instant reminders that We. Are. Here.
But often, there’s a deeper connection hiding underneath that.
When I ask people why they make photos, they usually say, “I just photograph what I see; whatever grabs my attention.”
That’s a fine start. But ask yourself, why does it grab your attention?
There’s no wrong answer. But knowing your answer can be the difference between random snapshots and images that carry meaning, both for you, and for others.
Follow What Already Moves You
For most of us, photography starts with what we already love.
For me, it was BMX. For others, it might be family, friends, nature, or the adventures we stumble into.
Grab a camera, take it to the places that matter to you, and start asking questions like:
How can I make this photograph feel the way it feels to be here?
How can I show someone else what this moment feels like to me?
Those two questions alone will do more for your photography than any YouTube tutorial about aperture ever will.
Think About Where Your Photos Will Live
Knowing where your photos will end up helps shape how you make them.
Is it for your Instagram story? Keep it bright, simple, and close-framed.
Printing for an album? Think about how one image might pair with another.
Documenting your friends’ adventures as a story? Consider a sequence; how a few frames can build a narrative together.
Even if it’s just for you, years down the track, make them with intention. You’ll thank yourself later when the memories come flooding back.
Be Curious, Not Perfect
When you’re starting out, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of perfection; wanting your photos to look “professional.” Forget that for now. Focus on curiosity instead.
Experiment. Fail. Play.
Ask questions like:
What happens if I move closer?
What happens if I wait for that light to shift?
How does this scene feel in black & white versus colour?
The answers will teach you more about photography and about yourself than technical perfection ever could.
So, How Do You Start Photography?
Pause. Sit down.
Grab a magazine, or a photo book, or just scroll through the work of photographers you admire. Look at what’s possible.
Then ask yourself: what do I want to say, and how can photography help me say it?
That’s where photography begins, not with a fancy camera, but with a bit of intention and a spark of curiosity.
Watch the video
Want help learning photography?
This Summer at Loop Art & Photo Space, we’ve created the ultimate short guide to making the photographs we dream about. From in-studio workshops to local excursions to discover things in natural light. Then, as if that’s not enough, we head back in to learn how to gently edit our photographs and make prints to critique.
Discover your intention, today! Book now!