Want to make better photographs? Of course you do. Who doesn’t?
Contrary to what most people believe, it is not their camera, nor how old or basic it is, that is preventing them from creating great photos: it’s the excuses they make and their unwillingness to spend the time and effort to learn the photography craft better.
Learning how to create great photos is not only for the people who want to become professional photographers. It will give the amateurs and the weekend photographers the ability to document and preserve their precious memories and experiences forever.
Don’t forget – these photos will be important not only to you your partners and friends, but also for people who are not born yet. They will be your visual heritage!
So, how do you create great photographs? Easy – be curious, have patience to practice and be passionate about your photography.
Start with this few simple steps:
- Invest in your skills. There are many ways of studying photography these days. Some photographers choose to study in the classic fashion by attending a university course and getting a degree in photography. Others choose to study online through a variety of educational platforms or book workshops with photographers they follow and whose work they appreciate. And don’t forget – the technical side of photography is the easy part. Studying photography is actually about a whole lot more. Great photographers study things like the creative process and composition.
- Practice! And I mean practice A LOT! If you can, do it every day. I read somewhere that Jimmy Hendrix, considered by many to be one of the best guitar players of all time, was famous for taking his guitar along everywhere – clubs, social gatherings, etc… – his guitar was always close by.
- Look at the work of other photographers. There are many ways to do this online, but I honestly prefer the old fashioned way – I buy photography books from photographers whose work I enjoy and value. Do you need some photo book inspiration? Take a look here.
- Get feedback for your work, but don’t be afraid of negative feedback. You can always get some feedback from the people around you, but I strongly suggest you get feedback from a professional photographer – people who love you will always praise your photos. Even when they are bad. And don’t expect validation from your peers, you are not a parking ticket 🙂 Are you interested in having your photos reviewed? Contact me here.
- Acquire some technical knowledge. And then forget it 🙂 Truly great photographers rarely talk about gear or camera settings. They talk about photographs, photography process, composition and experiences.
- Be curious, patient and passionate about your photography. Even about the mundane everyday life. Observe the people around you, photograph your friends and family, search for a beauty or new ways to photograph the city you see every day. It will pay off!
I would like to end this article with two quotes that inspire me:
“A window covered with raindrops interests me more than a photograph of a famous person.”
Saul Leiter
and
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
Elliott Erwitt
Would you like to know more? Consider attending my “Everything you need to know” photography workshop in Brussels.