I think most of us are always trying to become better photographers. But, as we go on taking pictures, perhaps you get stuck trying to figure out what to do next in order to have improvements in your photography. So, here is some tips that I found that are very useful.
1- Learn how to use your camera in manual mode.
But, automatic seems to work so well. Why would I go to all that work to learn something that seems so hard. It’s because you will be learning why the camera is doing what it’s doing in automatic mode, and there are photos that you take in automatic mode that you would like to learn how to fix it. If you understand your shutter speed settings and your aperture settings, and how you can control depth of field, you will vastly improve your photography.
2- Imitate a photo that you like:
We all have photos that we like, and don’t we wish we could take a photo like that. Take some time and study the photo you like. Is the lighting the key to why it is so good? Is it the composition? Is it a particular moody day? Study it out, and think about what makes it so good. One thing I think to look at the most while studying this photo is lighting. That is what photography is: Light caught on memory. Study that more than anything.
3- Use patience in creating your photos:
Remember, there is no shortcut to being a good photographer. How good you get all boils down to the effort you put into the art form. Patience and persistence are key. You must be willing to do things over and over again. Keep yourself open to learning from every shot you take. Hard work is the absolute difference-maker and will definitely pay off.
4- Avoid the mistake of wanting to upgrade your camera system
In the beginning, as you take pictures, and you notice that they aren’t coming out like you would hope, you may tend to blame it on the equipment. Stop thinking that and try to take the best photos with the equipment you have. It is probably just operator error (ouch! that’s a hard one to swallow). But as you improve your photo skills, you will know when it’s time to upgrade your photo equipment.
5- You will need to start innovating new ideas:
You will know when you have mastered photography a bit, because you will want to innovate your photos. You should try different things, and then print them so you can see it in reality. Pick different projects, not necessarily big projects, but, do it so you can follow what you have done.
“Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”
Henri Cartier-Bresson
To help you out, I am starting a 10 part session on this blog site, starting next Monday, the 12th of April. 10 different lessons on “SEEING A PHOTOGRAPH”. And that will involve understanding light, composition and the way to look around for things that everyone else misses.
See you Monday.
