If you’re new to photography and probably looking for ways to start improving in what looks like a daunting world, you’ve come to the right place. Photography is a versatile and rewarding skill that can help you express your creativity, capture memories, and even make money.
But how do you become a better photographer in 2023? What are the steps you need to take to take your photos to the next level? In this blog post, we will share with you 5 tips that will help you improve your photography skills and achieve your goals.
Tip 1: Identify What You Like to Photograph
Photography is a joyous art form and if you don’t like what you’re taking photos of you will struggle to motivate yourself. That’s why it’s important to identify what you like to photograph and work towards that. Whether it’s portraits, news, sport, landscapes, wildlife, fashion or anything else, find what you love about photography and focus on it!
To find your niche, you can explore different genres of photography and see what inspires you and what suits your personality. You can also use tools like Instagram or Pinterest to find work that you like and follow photographers who specialise in that genre.
Tip 2: Compare Your Work to Theirs and Try to Be as Critical as Possible
One of the best ways to improve your photography is to compare your work to the work of photographers that you admire and try to be as critical as possible. This will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and learn from their techniques and styles.
When comparing your work, pay attention to aspects such as composition, lighting, exposure, focus, colour, and mood. Ask yourself questions like:
- What do I like about their photos?
- What do I dislike about their photos?
- How did they achieve that effect?
- How can I replicate that effect?
A key way to improve your photography is to ask for help and advice from other photographers and friends. Whether it’s online or offline, there are many ways to connect with other photographers who can offer you valuable tips, feedback, and support.
Tip 3: Ask for Help and Advice
You can use online platforms like Facebook, Flickr or 500px to join photography communities, each website has hundreds of specific groups and pages for any kind of photography you can think of. If you have an interest in it, chances are others do too and will be willing to help where possible. Ask them to critique your work and see if they have any suggestions for improvement.
Tip 4: Upgrade Your Equipment When Necessary
The old saying in photography is that it’s not the camera but the photographer that takes a photo. This is true, but all equipment has its limitations. Once you feel that you have reached your limitations with the equipment that you own, it’s time to do your research and find what you can buy to help take your photography to the next level.
This doesn’t mean that you need to buy the most expensive or latest gear available. It means that you need to buy the gear that suits your needs and budget. For example, if you want to shoot portraits, you might want to invest in a prime lens with a wide aperture. If you want to shoot landscapes, you might want to invest in a tripod and a polarising filter.
Before buying any new equipment, make sure that you do your homework and read lots of reviews, compare prices, and test it out if possible. Youtube is a never ending resource for reviews of almost every piece of photography equipment.
Tip 5: Keep Shooting and Experimenting
The best way to improve your photography is to just keep shooting and experimenting. Practice makes perfect, and the more you shoot, the more you will learn and grow as a photographer.
Don’t be afraid to try new things and challenge yourself. Experiment with different settings, subjects, angles, and styles.
In my next post I will talk about picture editing and post production, and will outline some tools you can use to perfect a photo!