"How do I become a better photographer?" This simple question is one of the most commonly asked questions out there and it has one of the most complicated answers out there. It is no different than asking "how do I become a better cook?" or "how do i become a better writer?". The answer can be boiled down to three simple facets though... you study and you practice and you immerse yourself in what you love.


Will reading this article make you a better photographer? Nope. But hopefully it will give you the tools and ideas you need to make yourself better.

Photography As An Artistic Medium

Photography can easily be explained as the study and capture of light. It is truly that simple but it also goes so much deeper as well.

In photography, LIGHT is like a painter's brushes and paints. Light is what allows the photographer to change the images that are captured on the (analog or digital) film and changes the entire structure of how an image looks. But light is also not everything just as paint alone does not create a great painting.

Photography is about capturing the essence of a person, object, situation, thought, or experience in space and time. You first need to understand how light works and affects your images and then need to understand how to get the result that you seek.

This is only the beginning and one could write an entire novel on this subject alone.. but for right now just know that to become a better photographer you need to understand light and how to achieve what you want.

What Is Photography?
Definition of Photography

Study

The first thing that you need to do to become a better photographer is to study.
Do you have settings on your camera that you don't understand? Does ISO confuse you?
Do you understand how light refracts and reflects?

If these questions, or others like them, have ever entered your mind... then the first thing you need to do is study.

Aperture, Shutter, and ISO: What? How? Why?

The manual included with your camera is NOT your enemy. It does NOT make you a lesser artist or photographer to reference it regularly. If there's a function or a setting on your camera that you're not familiar with, specifically go look it up. If your manual isn't clear.. google it.

Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed – The Good Kind of Threesome

Learning the functions of your camera is one of THE most important things that you can do. You don't need to calculate f-stops in your head but you do need to know the basics. For example: if you increase your shutter speed your camera shutter snaps faster allowing less light for exposure so you will need to lower your aperture so your images are not under-exposed. Or another example: if you move your light source from the side to the front of the subject you're going to change how shadows look.

Learn Photography: Online SLR Camera Simulator

There is a lot of technical terms used in photography that are not just so that we sound smart They're used for a reason because they all relate to things that change the way your end result looks. Study and understand the terms so you can practice how they'll change your outcome.

Beginners’ FAQ

Beyond learning the functions of your camera, study classical art techniques to push yourself forward. Color theory, composition, contrast, juxtaposition, etc all apply to photography as much as they do to traditional art.

Practice

Sorry gang.. but this one is very true and there's no way around it: practice, practice, practice and practice makes perfect.

No amount of studying will EVER make you a great photographer. Just like reading recipes will not make you a great chef, studying photographic techniques will not improve your skills as a photographer... only practice and application of studied skills will do that.

Here are some tips on how to keep practicing:
Join a class

Explore challenging subjects on your own. Shooting glass and smoke are some of the most difficult subjects to shoot. Take a look at tutorials that give you the basics of how light works in these situations. Create a setup in your living room and leave it up for a week. Every day shoot that glass or smoke until you are satisfied with or proud of the results. Once you master that... how about trying your hand at portraits. People are difficult to shoot. Make a deal with a friend or try your hand at self portraits. Whatever genre of photography presents the biggest challenge, tackle that.

Select a week when you know your schedule is going to be lighter than normal and dedicate yourself to shooting something EVERY single day of that week... or better yet, month.

Join groups and projects on dA that will keep you practicing, challenged, and informed.

Carry your camera with you EVERYWHERE. Going to get gas? Grab the camera. Going to get groceries? Grab the camera. Take it with you no matter where you go (side note: just be careful because it's illegal to take photos in some places... like private and/or federal properties) and look for opportunities to take photos.

Immersion

Read and look at everything you can get your hands on. Then channel all that knowledge and creativity into something of your own.

When you love something, it's not a chore but a massive pleasure to "study" it. Read every article you can get your hands on.. sign up for free online magazines (like DPS) to get regular emails that will keep you focused on your medium. Surf online galleries on a daily basis and study the great classic photographers.

You're already a member of a massive online community so start tapping those resources (like Tutorials). On dA, you have access to some of the most amazing photographers in the world and, from my experience, these are also some of the nicest people out there. Don't be afraid to ask these people questions! So many of them are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience.. you just have to ask (just be polite: these are really nice but often very busy people).

Very few photographers (read:none) were born great... they got to be great by loving their craft, learning as much as they could, and constantly exploring their own boundaries. So immerse yourself and sink deep into all the knowledge available on photography out there. Absorb yourself in your craft and, at the very least, you should pick up something by osmosis


photo-class
Photography Tutorials on dA
Digital Photography Tips for Beginners
Creative Photography for Beginners
Advanced Photography Exposure Tips
Improve Your Photos 60 Seconds at a Time
Top 10 Photography blog picks
Photographic film
Digital Photography Tutorials


This article is done for the Photography Focus portion of projecteducate