Some Things I Have Learned In My Photographic Journey, Mostly The Hard Way

I've been enjoying fresh strawberries all week! Isn't it wonderful to have fresh fruit all winter? (click to enlarge)
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm f/4 lens @ 66mm; 1/60th sec. @ f/8; ISO 4000

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I've been photographing in a serious way for a long, long time.  In fact, over 48 years.  Now, I'm not saying I'm an expert or even I'm a very good photographer.  What I want to say is that over those many years I've learned a lot of lessons the hard way, through trial and error, mistakes, successes, failures, controlled experimentation, etc.  One of the reasons this blog is in existence is to pass on what I've learned to help others, so here is some homespun photographic wisdom from me to you.

Also, I want to say that I'm self-taught.  I've never had any formal photographic education nor attended an intensive workshop where the attendees learn the craft.  Everything I've learned is through buying and reading countless photographic books (long before there ever was such a thing as the Internet), years of subscribing to photographic magazines and seeking out and looking at tens of thousands of photographs from good photographers to learn by example.  I am the product of my photographic passion, so to speak.

About learning photography and becoming a better photographer

1)  I learned that to get better I needed to look at the work of those photographers I most admired and study what it is about their images that makes them good or great.  I realized that I needed to find every resource out there and drink in the content.  The more the better as many opinions are better than just one.  I recommend that you read photographic books, blogs, watch You Tube channels etc. as there are many of those resources that are excellent and available for free.

2)  Mentorship, in my opinion, is the strongest form of learning.  There is something special about that one-on-one relationship of mentor and mentee that develops trust, communication, understanding and a true partnership.  Seek out someone in photography who you respect and lives nearby.  Respectfully approach him or her and ask for help, criticism or answers to questions you might have.  As him or her to be your mentor.  You won't regret it.

3)  If you can afford the cost and can invest the time, sign up for a photographic workshop conducted by instructors whose work is in the same genre as yours and whose photographs you admire.  When there, ask lots of questions and do the work required.  You will get out of it what you put into it.

About being in the field and your gear

4)  When standing before a potential photograph and looking through the viewfinder, make sure you look at the edges and corners of what's in your viewfinder.  Many an image has been ruined because there is something intruding into the image from an edge or corner.  We tend to only look at our main subject(s) and we often forget about the edges and corners.  Make it a habit.  Of course, it is now much easier to fix with digital photography than with film photography.  Still, we want to get as much right as possible in the camera rather than relying on correcting our mistakes during editing later.  Makes you a better photographer.

5)  Look beyond your main subject to ascertain how the background interacts with it.  It's kind of like looking at the edges and corners.  We often neglect what is around or behind our main subject(s).  Do you need to use a wider lens and move forward or a longer focal length lens and move backward to make the relationship of main subject to background more pleasing or even to obscure an object in the background that can ruin your image.  These types of issues are not easy to fix later.  Again, get as much right in the viewfinder as possible before pushing that shutter button.

6)  Before composing an image in your viewfinder, look closely at your subject or scene.  Take it all in.  See what is really there.  Don't just jump in with your camera and start snapping away.  I bet you will find several compositions.  Pick out the one that is most pleasing to you.  Stand there and look at it.  Then move a little left and right to see if that makes things better.  Also, most people don't even think abut moving a bit higher and lower as well.  Very small changes in your initial assessment can make the difference between a really good image and and ordinary one.

7)  I find that "separation" between elements in an image can make a big difference.  Most of the time, you don't want to have two objects in your image merge without space between them.  That space, again, can make the difference between a successful image and an ordinary one.  Even a little space between two objects in your image can make a difference.  Move just a little bit to get that space before you press the shutter button.

8)  If you happen upon a potentially good or interesting image, never pass it by thinking you'll come back and photograph it later.  Stop right away and make your image. It won't be the same if you try to come back to it.  The light will have changed or something about the image will be different and you will be disappointed.  I guarantee that.  This is a lesson I've learned over and over!

9)  Thoroughly know your gear.  Know what it can do and what it can't do.  Knowing what it can't do is as important as knowing what it can.  Get fully familiar with all of your camera's features, controls and menus.  While in the field, especially during situations where the light or subject is fleeting, you don't want to have to try to figure out how to change a setting or where to find a feature you want to use.  Nothing more frustrating than to try to change a setting and find it is grayed out and you don't know why!  Also, know your lenses well enough to know their optimum apertures.  Each lens has different characteristics and each performs differently.  Know which focal lengths of that zoom you love don't give you the sharp images you want.  Some focal lengths of every zoom are better than others.  If you don't know your gear, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment.

10)  I always take too much gear with me.  I want to be ready for anything.  Sound familiar?  However, I find I almost never used most of it when I'm traveling or just out wandering. In retrospect and looking back at 48 years of photography, a reality check tells me that I really only need two, maybe three lenses that will cover just about everything I want to photograph.  Your mileage may vary depending upon the types of photography you practice.  Save yourself some money and buy only what you really need, not all that you want.  Spend the extra money on attending a workshop or traveling.  But buy the best lenses you can afford.  Cameras are a commodity but lenses are an investment.  Lenses will last you through many cameras you'll own over the years.  If you buy more than you need, you will have some great gear, but it will mostly go unused.

11)  Prepare.  Before traveling or even going out locally, prepare by using the resources you have at hand in order to fully understand where you are going and what potentially you could find to photograph.  Search out and find others' images that were made in the same areas you'll visit to get an idea of how the locations will look as images.  Use apps to find sunrise, sunset, obstructions, etc.  As far as you and your gear, make sure your batteries are charged, you camera is set to its default settings, you have lens cleaning gear with you and you have thoroughly thought through what you will need for where you are going.  You don't want surprises if something pops up quickly.  Also, don't forget about the proper clothing, food, water, sunscreen and insect repellent.

12)  You have heard the saying uttered by carpenters, "Measure twice, cut once?"  There is a reason for that.  Think, think, think again and think your image through before pushing that shutter button

13)  Don't be afraid to make mistakes.  You learn from every one of them.  Heavens, I've made more than I ever want to admit and still make them.  So what?  I'm still learning as well.

Choosing, editing and showing your work

14)  Don't select and edit your images right after you make them.  Put them away for a time and then look at them with "fresh eyes."  You need time for some separation from the experience to the editing process.

15)  When editing your images, walk away from your computer and monitor after 20-30 minutes.  Your brain compensates for your eyes, i.e., you won't any longer be able to objectively edit your images.  Color, contrast, saturation, etc. will lose relative perspective sitting in front of your monitor for too long.  Your eyes won't see objectively as your brain gets used to the light of your monitor and will skew reality.   When you look at them the next day or even the next year, you may ask yourself, "why did I do that?  These looks terrible!"  Example: Just like being inside your home and the light looks white but in reality its very yellow compared to daylight.  Your brain compensates.  Same kind of thing happens when sitting in front of that computer monitor for too long a stretch.  Give your brain a break.

16)  Separate your emotional attachment to your images with a dose of objective reality.  We know how we felt when we made an image, but you are obligated to look at each image objectively.  You need time to forget the feelings you had when you first saw the scene, how exited you felt and how good it was to make a "great" image.  Without emotion, you may find out that the image isn't so great after all.

17)  Only show your best work. If you show mediocre work along with your really good stuff, people will think you are just an okay photographer and your excellent work was just luck.  Only post your best.  One exception is that if you are working with a mentor or instructor, bring it all out so you can get honest feedback in order to improve.

18)  Be hard on yourself.  Don't give yourself excuses for not doing your best or making better photographs.  Making excuses only serves to remain at a mediocre level.

19)  When you think you have mastered photography, you get yourself in trouble.  Never stop trying to learn more about your craft.  Very seldom in any craft, does a real expert craftsman think he or she has truly mastered all aspects of the craft.  Be humble and keep in the learning mode, no matter how long you have been photographing.

20)  Lastly, Think, Think, Think and then Think again.  Anyone can make an image with a phone or a digital camera.  A consistently good photographer, who can create excellent images under almost any circumstance, requires him or her to engage in careful thought.  Excellence in photography is a thinking person’s game.   Anybody can get lucky with an excellent image now and then.  Very few can make excellent consistently.

These are just some of the lessons I have learned over many, many years through my successes, failures and experimentation.  I hope you have learned something you can take away.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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