When I was a fledgling photographer I tried too hard to take good pictures. I studied a subject with ferocious intensity. I sincerely believed that I could create a good photograph by the sheer force of my will. I made a lot of mistakes. This week I want to share three of those mistakes with you so that you can skip right to the fun part – making great images!
Mistake #1: I asked myself what a real photographer would do.
This is a question a real photographer would never ask. A real photographer has confidence. She believes in her creative ability. She truly sees and boldly explores her world. She comes prepared with knowledge about the place she is shooting and arrives with an open heart and the patience of a saint. She doesn’t expect that each image she captures will be extraordinary; her goal is that one in every 36 shots is. She knows that she’ll need to take 2,000 images to get 40 or 50 amazing shots and she looks forward to the challenge and adventure of shooting. She learns from other photographers but she sees her photography practice as a personal exercise in discovering the world. She does all this and much more, but she never asks herself what a real photographer would do because she’s too busy mindfully observing and enjoying the moment.
[Soviet Era Leica-esq camera purchased from a street vendor in Moldova]
Lessons:
- Learn more about a place before you leave.
- Slow down and see more of the scene – look for the story in the details.
- Experiment more in the moment – move up, down, and around your subject. Be bold.
- Shoot more! Make it your goal to shoot two or three times more than you’ve ever shot before.
- Edit your images down to just the best photos that tell the story of your adventures and then share these images.
Payoffs:
- Develop the ability to live more in the moment.
- Develop the ability to see and appreciate what and who is around you.
- No regrets – you’ll have lots of images to choose from once you get home.
- Improvement – you’ll be pleased with your work and see marked progress in your photography skills.
- Fun – you’ll have a lot of great stories to tell about the adventures your camera takes you on. 🙂
Watch for posts on mistakes two and three later this week. Consider signing up for the Global Snapshots Twitter feed and emails so you don’t miss a tip.
In joy,
Melinda