New year – new opportunities, right? If you feel like improving your photography in 2010, my suggestion for you is to read these 10 tips. They are my very personal ones, and I’m not saying they’re ‘the truth‘. But I like to share what I’ve learned, and I know I would have benefitted from reading this a few years back.
1. Learn to use your camera
This may sound like 101 for every photographer, but it’s not (I can honestly say I don’t know all of the features on my camera yet). Digital Cameras are very complex these days and there are tons of features. Features you don’t need, features you might not need, features you don’t think you need, features you should be using but aren’t, etc.
The point here is that it’s vital for all photographers to know the camera – what it can as well as what it can’t do – not only for the end result but also for your confidence. When the difficult situation appears (and it will!) I can assure you that you’ll feel twice as confident if you know your camera.
2. Stop using ‘the green mode’
Yes. You can get great photos using the auto mode on you camera. The cameras are really smart these days and the auto features work really well. But if you want to grow as a photographer and if you want to have control over the photo situations, the ‘green mode’ is no option. YOU should be the one to decide how the picture will turn out, not the camera.
3. Get the most out of the autofocus
Most digital cameras has the automatic autofocus – i.e. the camera chooses where the focus will be on your photo. This is another one of those features that work well these days. But if you want to be creative with the camera, you should work on learning how to use the focus points manually. Because – once again – YOU should be the one in charge, not the camera.
4. Think before you press the button
Take an extra moment (or a couple) to think about light, background and other things that might interfere with the picture you have in mind, before you press the button. It’ll save you a lot of head ache and hours of post-processing.
5. Take lots pictures
Once you’ve bought the camera and lenses, digital photography is cheap. Taking 5 or 50 picture won’t make any noticeable difference to your wallet. But taking 50 pictures instead of 5 will most definitely increase your chances of getting the perfect photo. So after thinking the location/light/picture through, I say go nuts with the shutter button.
6. Join a Forum (and accept critique)
There are hundreds of awesome photo forums online. Places where people are helping each other out to learn more about photography. And most of the forums have sections where you can upload pictures and other people can give comments on them. This is a great way to learn more if you’re new to photography, because you’ll get critique from experienced photographers. You will, however, need to accept the fact that people won’t always love your photos. But instead of getting grumpy about it, listen to them and hear what they have to say. You will most definitely learn a thing or two.
7. Learn post-processing
Photographers are often saying that they want everything to be perfect when they shoot, so that they won’t need to “photoshop” the picture.
Well, I agree. Get the picture as perfect as possible can in-camera. But don’t think that you won’t need to do post-processing. Adjusting the picture after the actual exposure has been done forever, and with Photoshop it’s no different. Apart from the fact that you can do so much more these days, than you could back in the darkroom days.
So why not take advantage of it? Learn how to use Photoshop properly and you can take your photos to the next level. (There are cheaper softwares as well, but I can’t really give any tips there since Photoshop is what I use.)
8. Shoot in RAW
Almost every digital SLR has the possibility to shoot in RAW-format these days. If you don’t know what RAW is, I suggest you google it right away. The only downside of RAW compared to JPEG is that the files are larger. But since hard-drives are inexpensive nowadays, there’s really no excuse for not shooting RAW. Once you learn the benefits and the possibilities of the RAW format, there’s no turning back. I think I’ve shot JPEG’s once or twice the last two years, and that’s only when I had no time for post-processing. Otherwise, always RAW. Always.
9. Start photoblogging
Having a photoblog is great not only for showing off your work, but also for the pressure you put on yourself. Who’s going to check a blog that is updated once a month? I know I wouldn’t. You need to blog at least once or twice a week, which means you’ll have to take pictures at least that often. And taking more pictures makes you more experienced, which makes you a better photographer. As simple as that.
10. Go for education over gear
Once you have a camera and a good lens (like the inexpensive 50mm f/1,8) you have everything you need for good photos. So instead of buying more lenses in the beliefe of becoming a better photographer, spend your money on books or maybe take a photo course. Your photography will definitely benefit more from the knowledge you gain, than from that extra $500 lens in your camera bag.
That’s it. My very personal 10 tips. And because a post is better with a picture, here’s one of my niece Judith from Christmas Eve.
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