Photography Tips
“There’s no particular class of photograph that I think is any better than any other class. I’m always and forever looking for the image that has spirit! I don’t give a damn how it got made.” — Minor White
I often get asked what I did to create a specific shot, or how I learned photography.
Well… the answer to the first question is always situational and never the same, so I don’t have much to say about that on this page. However, anything I might have to say about a particular photo will probably be found in the blog comments for that photo, either on this site or on my Flickr photostream.
But to answer the second question: I am self-taught, though I’ve learned much by observing and listening to other photographers and by examining and thinking about their photos.
I have been at this for awhile, so I’ve had a chance to learn many things from trial and error. So, here are some things it’s taken me awhile to learn, but that I offer up to anyone looking to improve their photography. If you find them useful, great. If not, then so be it:
- You learn best through trial and error, and not through me (or anyone else) telling you what you should or shouldn’t be doing. If something I say here inspires you to go out and experiment, great. If it doesn’t, ignore it. There are no rules for what to do to become better at this. There are only things that inspire you to try new and interesting things.
- Pursue the subjects and techniques that interest and intrigue you most, and not what other people say you should or shouldn’t be doing. If you like HDR processing, go for it. If you hate HDR processing, ignore it. If you like black & white shots, make black & white photographs. If landscape photography tweaks something interesting in your brain, shoot landscapes. But whatever else you do, do not falsely limit your own horizons by getting religious about any one type of photography or technique. Anything goes, so remain open to anything that helps you to achieve the effect that pleases you more than anyone else. You really are the only audience that matters in the end, and if your image doesn’t hit you where it counts, it doesn’t matter what other people think of it.
- Carry a camera with you everywhere and take photos of anything that strikes your fancy. If you feel shy about using your camera, get over it. If you’re going to bother to carry your camera with you wherever you go, DO NOT BE SHY about using it. It doesn’t matter what camera or equipment you have. Just get out there and learn by shooting.
- Try to see ordinary things from new angles and in a new light and to capture what you see in a photo.
- Learn the ins and outs of how your camera works and experiment with different settings and techniques. Read your camera’s manual if you have to; there’s a lot of great information there that often gets overlooked because so few people actually RTFM. However, that being said, don’t think that technique and gear replace vision. The best gear in the world is perfectly capable of taking crappy photos, while the most basic cameras can create marvelous things.
- Become interested in other photos and in the history of photography. Steep yourself in the knowledge of what has come before you, and learn from others’ photos. Learn to really look at photos and examine all their component pieces: composition, lighting, color, framing, etc.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and don’t hesitate to take dozens or hundreds of photos of the same things till what you see pleases you. We’re in the digital age now, and the cost of getting more shots is just your time.
- Never, never, never refer to yourself as "just an amateur." Amateurs actually are the lifeblood of any activity because they do it purely for the love of the thing itself, rather than because they are being paid. Being an amateur just means you’re not getting paid, not that you are less skillful or less full of creative vision than someone who’s getting paid to click the shutter.
- And definitely don’t worry what others around you might think of you, or what other photographers might have to say about your work. Why let your life be trapped in others’ narrow-minded notions or opinions of the world? Not everyone will like your creations. There are always people perfectly willing to tell other people exactly what they’re doing wrong. But as long as you are happy with it (or working toward becoming happier with it), that’s really all that matters in the end.