FIVE STEPS TO IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 12:00PM 
Image by: PeterAnthony Photography
One of the most common questions that I get when it comes to photography is: "What advice can you give me that will help me become a better photographer?" Here's my series of typical recommendations, in five easy steps:
My first recommendation would be to look at loads of images in magazines, on billboards, on product packaging, and on photography forums on the Internet. Examine the subject, colour, composition, and lighting of each of these images. In other words, begin to critically examine photographs. As you view the images, ask yourself what you like, and dislike, about each one of them. Then ask yourself, what you would change about the image to improve upon it? You don't even need a camera to carry out this first step.
Once you purchase a camera, read the manual that you received with it from cover to cover. It's provided by the manufacturer for a reason. You'd be surprised how many people never read their manual, and, as a result, are unaware of their camera's full range of settings and capabilities. Make sure, as well, that you actually have your camera with you when you read every single page of that manual. If you bought your camera second hand, and it did not come with a manual, most manuals are available free to download on the Internet.
My next recommendation would be to get out there and shoot loads of images. Get comfortable handling your camera. Once you have spent your initial outlay of cash on a body and a lens, there's nothing stopping you from shooting many images. Don't worry about wearing out a shutter. It's probably rated for hundreds of thousands of actuations anyway. Just as was the case in the first recommendation, begin to ask yourself the same set of critical questions regarding your own images.
My fourth recommendation would be to shoot with one focal length exclusively for one entire month. Ideally, I'd suggest that you do this for one full year. If you currently only have a zoom lens with your body, tape the zoom ring into a fixed position, and shoot with it set to either 35mm or 50mm. By doing this, you simplify your shooting experience by eliminating all other focal lengths. If you need to zoom in order to compose a stronger image, do so with your feet.
The fifth, and most important recommendation is also the most challenging, but it will enable you to develop your skills at an accelerated rate. Set your DSLR to M mode, thereby forcing yourself to learn about the relationship between ambient light levels, ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Examine the histogram after each and every shot and adjust accordingly. By the end of the month (or year, if you took that advice), you'll have improved significantly because of your efforts.
Lastly, don't be discouraged initially by the lack of "keepers". Developing a strong photographic eye and a corresponding set of technical skills takes time, patience, commitment, and hard work. Over time, with this strategy, you will develop your own personal approach and style, and your camera will become a natural extension of yourself.
Reader Comments (2)
Interesting and helpful as I'm a novice. I went on a Canon instruction course last month and the first thing I did afterwards was to look a newspaper photo's in a great more detail.
Your recommendations made a lot of sense...especially number one. I watch TV with the eyes of a photographer, finding where the angle of the cameraman is, the direction of light, etc...I "read" every image in the newspaper, advertising in magazines, and view everything and everyone as if I have a camera with me. Your writing is helpful for everyone that wants to enter photography field.