After all, if you come here, you must be interested in photography. It is quite possible that -like me- you want to improve your day-to-day routine and become a better photographer. Don’t believe that you must be born with the photographer’s gene. It’s something that you grow into.
photo credit: Dave-F almost retiredHere are my rules to photography self-improvement:
- Think about it permanently. You must start seeing the world with a photographic eye, look for, then find photos anywhere you go (with or without a camera): while driving a car, on the highway, in a small street, in the subway, in a family reunion, in the city, in the country, in the zoos, at work, in the plant, etc.
- Experiment. There are millions of specific photo techniques. The digital cameras allow us to try anything without any kind of expense. You must try and try again: backlight, high-angle shots, low-angle shots, panorama, macro, speed, flash, etc.
- Pratice. You must shoot a lot and check the results continuously to see what works and what does not. Also, shooting a lot is a good way to learn the inner operation of your photo camera. The first time you drive a car, it’s a bit hard… then it grows on you. And you forget about the moves and stop thinking about it. It’s only then that you can do whatever you want. When I will handle my camera with my eyes closed, I will botch less pictures for my slow reaction.
- Push the camera aside. Soemtimes an empty battery, a forgotten camera will allow you to shoot pictures in your head only. No technical constraint: Look.
- Never let it go. Endurance is needed to keep going. Never despair. Keep shooting images. It won’t come in a week.
Finally, when you get this level, what will be left? Profit (or not) from your inner photographic self: There are some “natural-born photographers”.