Do you ever get the feeling that some people always take incredible photos? How is that possible and why can’t my photos be like that too. There are many reasons why some people always take good photos. Below I have a list of some of the many characteristics good photographers have in common.
When taking portraits, landscapes or for that matter any kind of photography, to take incredible pictures, patience is a necessity. Patience when working with clients on a portrait shoot, patience when waiting for the perfect light when shooting landscapes. But also it is important to have patience with yourself and take your time to improve your knowledge and skills with the camera.
Practice is the key to improving in any pursuit or activity. With photography the more practice you have with your camera, the more confident you be become and the more ready you will be for taking great photos. Do your best to spend 15 minutes a day with your camera… even if you end up deleting all the photos, it is still worth the effort and you will soon start seeing improvements in your photography. Remember you are improving every time you pick up your camera.
Know your camera inside out and back to front. Read your camera manual and memorise what all those buttons and settings do. The quicker you are at finding your way around your camera, the more chance you will have of capturing that once in a life time shot.
Perfect photos don’t happen with every shot, but what all great photographers have is perseverance. We all have bad days even when we start out with good intentions. There might be days where nothing seems to go right, or when you get home you realise that none of the photos are worth keeping. This is really frustrating, but we have all been there. Things can only get better!
Staying positive is really important. Some days will be harder work than others and some times you might come home and not be happy with any of your photos. Stay positive and look at each photo session as a learning experience. Look at the photos you took and think of how you could improve them next time. The trick is to think to yourself that this practice is just going to make you a better photographer.
To make the most of any photo opportunity that my come your way, you always have to be prepared. Before you go out to take photos, or better still, when you get home from taking photos go through a checklist so that when you are out shooting, you are ready. Is my lens clean, batteries charged, spare battery charged?
Being picky and only share the best of the best photos online. If you take 50 photos of a sunset, be hard with yourself and only share 1 photo, your best photo.
This is something that is hard to describe. It’s like a force from within that drives you to do something that you enjoy. It can make you go that one step further with your photography and push you to another level. It is that inner force that makes you get up early in the morning before sunrise so you can get out and capture that amazing light. Or spend hours trying to perfect techniques and capture images you only used to dream about.
Be proud of yourself and your work. Think of how far you have come with your photography in the last six months, year or 2 years. To help you with that sense of pride, consider having your favourite photos enlarged by a professional printer shop instead of only looking at your work on the computer screen. You will be amazed by your own work when it has been printed and you are holding it in your hand. Get it framed and hang it on the wall. Be proud!