Taking photos can be a great way to spend your spare time and explore your new-found love for art. The great thing about photography is that you can explore multiple techniques. You can play with different angles, lighting, and subjects. It can boost your creativity and allow you to express yourself and emotions other than words, movement, and music. Whether you plan on taking it as a hobby or photography as a career, the following are a few unusual tactics you can try to get better each day.
Get Inspiration and Dare to Do Things Differently
Sometimes, the best way to learn is not to practice and copy other photographers’ styles. If you want to stand out, then you would need to be a lot more creative and unique. You can start by choosing a niche and draw inspiration from other excellent photographers.
For instance, you were inspired by the photos taken by your best friend’s wedding photographer. You can study their techniques, learn a few skills, and start experimenting to find your own approach. Think about the things that captured your attention in the first place. Deconstruct the images and apply the principles to create your original creation. Once you found your own style, continuously practice this until you perfect it.
Know When to Limit Yourself
In photography, you can enjoy many options. We often think of this as a good thing but sometimes, having many options stop you from achieving better results. There are times when limiting yourself can help you become better.
You can try limiting yourself to a definite number of shots, exposures, focal length, or subject. Stick to a strict limit and be more purposeful when taking the shots. This way, you will think twice before snapping photos like there is no tomorrow. This will make you spend more time to study your subject and adjust your settings. It will teach you to be patient so that you can finally start shooting for quality instead of quantity.
Don’t Be Afraid to Educate People
There are times when people can interpret whatever photograph you give them. But sometimes, people fail to pinpoint the different things going on inside an art. They can physically tell what your subject is, how they look like, and what they think is being represented in front of them.
But as a photographer, there will always a deeper meaning behind every art you post. If businesses and marketers caption their products and educate their clients through content, you should also do the same. This is not to say that you must explain everything in detail. Create a good introduction but make sure to leave some details to make them wonder and wanting to get more.
Welcome Discomfort
You might be good at taking photos even without a formal education in photography. But that does not mean you should already sit back, relax, and be contented at what you already achieved. If you want to be better, you will have to do more, practice more, and put yourself in difficult situations.
Discomfort will make you feel different emotions, including frustration. But frustration can be a good thing as it can help you grow stronger, more resilient, and better in what you want to achieve. Remember that to be good at something, you need to go through trial and error, accept criticism, and use this to fuel your desire to become better.
Give Yourself Self-assignments Each Day
When you’re not out entering competitions, taking pictures for your friends, or having pictorial dates with your loved ones, don’t let a day go by without you practicing on your camera. Even if you’re home-bound, you can still challenge yourself to be better at taking photographs. What you can do is to think of an assignment for yourself for the day and start shooting.
Think of a scenario that will prompt you to create strong images. This can be your next post on Instagram, your client’s photos for an article they will publish at the end of the day, or a portrait you can add to your collection. Don’t let a day pass by without you taking great shots, and you can watch yourself grow to be a better photographer.
Photography can be the kind of art that can teach you to be patient, persistent, resilient, and self-forgiving. You don’t necessarily need to copy what other photographers are doing to be a great photographer yourself. Be brave, dare to be different, be your own challenger, and welcome criticisms. Remember that your greatest critique is yourself. Think about your art and what you want to achieve and focus on becoming better each day.
