Do you love taking photos? Many of us do, but sometimes the results of our images aren’t exactly what we hoped they would be. It can be very discouraging to look at a Professional’s gallery and think, “My images will never be this good.”
While we’ve all been there, it’s the wrong state of mind, and you should not give up on becoming a better photographer. Whether you’ve just started or have been taking images for years, we can all improve, and here are three tips for taking your game to the next level.
Like any discipline or form of art, improvement comes from going through the motions. You can read every book out there on photography, but until you put your eye to the lens those principals won’t be understood.
Photography is about capturing moments, and every time you go out to shoot it’s going to be different. If landscapes are your thing, practice will get you familiar with several aspects of what a good photograph requires. Some examples are:
The more repetition you put in, the more you’ll know about your camera, and the faster you’ll be ready when that once in a lifetime shot comes around. Try pushing yourself to take a photo everyday and make a habit out of bringing your camera with you everywhere!
You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!
It’s very easy to feel as if we only know how to take a certain style, or genre of photographs. Maybe you’ve grown up in a small town and feel as if you have taken a photo of everything interesting.
But, have you taken those same shots at night? With a neutral density filter? Have you included a model in the foreground of your favorite landscape?
It’s incredible how many ways the same subject can be interpreted, and the best way to fill your mind with ideas is to examine the work of others.
There are countless online communities for sharing, discussing and even selling your photos. It’s incredible how much you can learn just by looking at another photo. Some great communities for getting started include:
Nowadays, if you’re self-disciplined and motivated, photography school isn’t necessary. Everything you can ever want to learn is available online through various tutorials and colorful video demonstrations.
Select a photographer whose work inspires you. More often than not, they will have a website that walks you through how they achieved a certain effect.
By taking the time to understand the principles of photography, while also getting out to execute them, you can bet you’ll begin to see improvements in no time.
By James Lam Join me on Google +