How Often Do You Practice Your Photographic Technique?

Blooming Dogwood, Williamsburg, VA (click to enlarge)

Do you consider yourself a good photographer?  Do you want to be a better photographer? How often do you just go out with your camera and a lens and practice?  How often do you sit at home with your camera body, adjust the controls without looking so it becomes second nature?  How often to you go into your camera's menus to know exactly where certain options are so you can change them quickly?

If you want to be a better photographer, I suggest you need to practice.  Think about this. How many professional musicians don't practice and practice a lot?  How many good swimmers don't practice, practice, practice? How many great vocalists don't practice? How many top runners never run except in meets?  How about race car drivers?  Do you think Formula 1, NASCAR or Indycar drivers practice before and between races?  How many actors don't rehearse?  You get my point by now.

Well the answer is anyone who is serious about his or her craft/work/profession and desires to excel practices probably practices more as doing the actual activity.  But, I very seldom see photographers out there just practicing.  Funny...

It is no accident that professional photographers come back from assignments with good images EVERY TIME.  Why?  Practice, developing "muscle memory" and honing their craft through years and years of hard work.  I don't think you can be really good at any craft or skill unless you practice, practice, practice.

That's all for now.  I think I'll head out to practice.

Thanks for looking.  Enjoy!

Dennis Mook

Many of my images can be found at www.dennismook.com.  Please pay it a visit.  I add new images regularly.  Thank you.

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