The number one thing you can do to improve your photography
The Number One Thing You Can Do To Improve Your Photography
Text and photos by Heather Cline
 
Purple striped jellyfish |
If you are new to photography - or even not new - you may have read many articles or watched videos offering tips and advice on how to improve. I've read many, I've watched many, I've even written many of these myself. However, I feel strongly there is one simple thing you can do that is more important and more effective than any other lesson I've learned. I promise you, doing this one thing will improve your photography: Get Out And Shoot!
I know this sounds too simple, but it works and here is why. Every time you go out and shoot - if it's for a day or even an hour - it's like buying a lottery ticket. You can't win if you don't play.
For the past year, I've dedicated more hours to getting outside and photographing nature and wildlife than any other year for the past 20+ years. It has improved my knowledge of my gear, my ability to react quickly to changing conditions, and knowledge of the subjects I am photographing - just to name a few.
Of course, getting out there is easier said than done. This article is dedicated to five obstacles that many of us have to overcome so we can dedicate time to photography (or maybe any skill) in which we endeavor to improve. I write this for myself as much as anyone else because I too battle with the excuse demons.
1. I Don't Have Enough Time
I'm the queen of "don't have enough time". Over the years, I have prioritized my career above most other things. Aside from family and pet emergencies, I've planned just about everything (including my wedding) around when I thought it wouldn't interfere with work deliverables. I'm quite sure I'm not the only one out there who has done this. This practice may have helped me promote and maintain solid employment for many decades but as I get older I realize that there are more good years behind me than ahead of me that I can dedicate to photography. That realization was very depressing but also gave me a kick in the pants to take every single opportunity to get out and shoot possible.
One thing I shifted when I found myself starting to say, "I don't have enough time" is "I'm not making this a priority". At least then, I'm owning it. I'm not a victim. We all get the same number of hours in a day - what matters is what you do with them.
Certainly, there are times when I just need to put in extra hours at work and that is okay. I chose this career path after all. I'm just much more conscious of it now and have used this enlightenment to find ways to squeeze in more photography. Here's a few practical ways I've done this:
- If I have at least an hour of time between sunrise and my first meeting, I walk to the park with my camera. I've grabbed some great images and learned a lot about species in my neighborhood.
- Weekends are my best opportunity to take a half day or full day trip focused solely on photography, allowing me to diversify the subjects I photograph. Knowing this - I plan ahead - carving out time before the weekend gets here so I don't overcommit to things that will impede my plan.
- I started saying no to things that I didn't have to do and things that didn't contribute towards my photography.
- I took advantage of my ability to work remotely and started planning trips where I worked during the day and shot at whatever location I traveled to at sunrise and sunset.
American Black Bear - photographed while working remotely |
2. I Can't Afford It
I started taking pictures when I was pretty much broke. I started with used gear and entry level gear and guess what - it's not the gear that takes the photo - its the photographer that takes the photo. Understanding the exposure triangle, the zone system, and your tool (camera) is the best first start to taking solid photos. I learned a lot of this through books and taking classes at a junior college near my home. In our current world, you can do all this for free on the internet. Trust me - I leverage free whenever I can.
Even today, with a better job and a little more disposable income, I can't justify going out and dropping 5 large on a camera body. I make due with the best camera body and lenses that I can afford. I've looked a lot of photos taken with more expensive setups and some are pretty outstanding and others are just okay. It's really what you do with the tool that matters.
I also can't justify exotic and grand photography workshops so I travel by car and camp most of the time. By doing this, I've squeezed more trips in each year than I ever would if I had to pay for airfare, hotel, food, etc.
Black tail deer in lupine - photographed a short walk from my house |
3. I Don't Have Anyone To Go With
This one is a tough one because I fully understand that there are Introverts and Extroverts. I'm a strong introvert so I have no problem going out for an hour, a day, or several weeks completely alone. Not everyone is comfortable with that and I don't think one way is right or wrong - just different. So, if you are more comfortable or just happier going out with other photographers, there are photography clubs in every city that provide that option. If you work for a company that has an intranet site, there are almost always others at the company that share your interest and you can leverage that to meet up with other like minded photographers. If you enjoy outdoor photography, REI hosts classes and events, Audubon Society hosts field trips, and Meetup hosts all kinds of photography outings - to name a few.
But I will say this - your ability to excel should never rely on another person enabling the activity. If you truly want it, you have to own it and find ways to get out there.
American Kestrel - photographed while on a fieldtrip with my photography club |
4. I Don't Know Where To Go / What To Photograph
I find inspiration for outings and photo trips by reading blogs, looking at other photographers images, and talking with other photographers. Over time, I have developed certain locations I like to visit at certain times of the year but honestly you can also just google "what to photograph near me" and Google will help you find lots of options. Google is a good friend like that.
Sand verbena blooms at sunrise - an annual spring trip for me |
5. The Weather / Light Is No Good
If I had a nickel for every time I said the weather sucks or the light sucks, I'd have enough money to buy that fancy camera I mentioned on #2 above! It's certainly advantageous to plan your outings when the weather will provide the best results and at the edges of the day when the light is most beautiful. But - you can't control the weather and this is a great lesson to learn. When the weather is crap, you have to start thinking about how to leverage it to get the best possible images. For example, overcast light is great for macro subjects like mushrooms and wildflowers. It can provide nice lighting for wildlife and waterfalls as well. Stuck with flat blue skies? Go for high contrast images or look in the shaded areas.
Then - there are times when the weather gods give gifts. Sometimes I'll go out in the morning expecting complete cloud cover but the sun will poke through the clouds and gift me some great light when I need it most. If I skipped out because I thought it would just be gray and cloudy, I'd miss out on those moments. That is why I say you have to "buy that lottery ticket". Some days I get a $5 winner, others a $5,000 winner. You can't win if you don't play.
Cactus Wren - photographed on an overcast day |
We all have excuse demons that want to drag us away from our bliss. I've fallen into this trap myself so I feel extremely qualified to share these obstacles and ways to overcome them. I hope this inspired you to get out there and see what the lottery has to offer.
