Take photos of people, nature, cityscapes, landscapes, anything that you come across from day to day. Remember, take your camera everywhere and be ready to snap pics at all times. The last thing you want is regretting to take the perfect shot and missing it.
So, what does it take to take amateur photography to a more professional avenue?
Practice
Practice makes perfect. Like with any new hobby, sport or skill you are trying to develop, you will never improve if you don’t keep practicing. A great habit to start is creating a new goal each week.
For instance, the first week, take photos of people. Shoot from different angles, distances, focal points and try and find what looks best. Then the next week, do something like city shots and so on and so on.
By doing this, you will help yourself develop an eye for what looks good and what doesn’t. This way, you’ll be more observant and ready to take the best shots when needed.
Keep it up. Even if things don’t turn out how you want, just keep on going.
Confidence
Another key to taking your photography to the next level is by having confidence in what you are doing. Of course, you will be timid at first, but the more you shoot the more confident you will get.
Take your friends or family and direct them with what to do, how to move and how to look. By doing this, you will begin to feel comfortable with direction if you ever move into professional photography of individuals.
When it comes to nature and other photos that don’t involve people, you still must have confidence in what you are shooting. Take pictures that you feel would look great. The more confident you feel, the more likely you are to appreciate the photos later.
Patience
Patience is key in photography. You won’t be amazing right away and you must stay patient and confident that the practice will lead you in the right direction. But patience does not only relate to skill development but also while taking photos.
Hold your shots, wait for the perfect moment and snap. Ensure your subject is in focus, lined up and ready to take the shot. Another route is increasing your shutter speed to allow for taking several photos in a very short amount of time.
The more patient you are, the better.
Development
If you can follow these steps, you will move in the right direction. Keep taking those photos and experimenting with your style.
The more and more you begin to find how and what you like to shoot, that’s when editing comes in. But that is for another post.
Article written by Lucy
(Photo by azriadnan via Flickr)