How to improve the level of photography

How to improve the level of photography

In photography, I strive to improve my skills and learn new things. So do you know how to improve your photography? The following are the methods I shared to improve my photography. Welcome to refer to!

1. Visit art galleries and fall in love with art.

The importance of art to photography cannot be overemphasized. If you want to achieve something in photography, you must first become an admirer and student in the art world. Visit the museum and spend a day studying the works of those great artists. It would be better if you could take a pen and paper with you. If a work of art catches your attention, take notes. Write down all the things you like about it and write down the reasons. If you find that you are not interested in something, you can also write it down.

There are many museums in big cities. In fact, many museums are open for free or under certain conditions.

2. Change the shooting angle

Spend a day thinking about the shooting angle. Try those seats that you may have never tried before. The only limitation of this method is whether you are willing to change what you are used to. If you take a portrait, you might as well take a ladder. If there is no ladder, you can climb trees or stand in other higher places. Shooting people from above can often magnify the advantages, especially avoiding double chins. If you shoot flowers, you might as well consider shooting from an angle close to the ground. Doing so may get your clothes dirty, but I promise it's worth it. Use sunlight to shoot translucent flowers and let the sunlight pass through the petals. New shooting angles almost always bring you new inspiration and creativity.

3. local zoo

Going to the zoo is one of my favorite activities. Mainly because it is relaxed and stress-free. There are no customers waiting to see my photos, so I don't have to bother to plan a photo that needs special effects. My world is just me, my camera and hundreds of rare animals. Moreover, the zoo is very cheap, and even has a half-price discount one day a week.

There is a small challenge here: when you go to the zoo, try to cover up the fact that these animals were photographed in the zoo-which means you must try your best to find a thoughtful composition. This is usually a challenge, but it is worthwhile. If there is a fence, an obvious rockery, or the environment is not good, don't shoot casually and find another place.

Shoot as little as possible.

That's right, shoot less. Being able to take thousands of photos is a good thing, but it may also exhaust your creativity. Digital cameras can take unlimited pictures, and as a result, you will press the shutter everywhere. In this way, there are few satisfactory results. Right?

Consider this suggestion. Next time you go out to take pictures, use a small memory card, too small to take pictures at will, and there is no spare. If you only have one large-capacity memory card, make a limit for yourself, for example, you can only bring 50 cards a day.

Suddenly, the number of photos you take is greatly reduced. You can't just shoot whatever you can't see, as if you are back in the movie era, and every photo should be seriously considered. In this way, the spark of creativity will come out in generate, and you will be more sensitive to what can make a good photo.

5. Take your camera.

Chris Orwig mentioned in his book Visual Poems, "Even if you don't take pictures, you can change your life with a camera." I can't disagree. Carrying a camera with you can keep you alert at all times. When you look at the world, it seems that the camera is always in front of you. You have reason to stop and observe carefully, no matter where you are. Take your camera, at least most of the time. Shooting things in daily life doesn't require special photography skills. Gradually you will see the world in a new way. Even if it's just a camera phone.

6. Keep a beginner's mind.

When you feel that you are doing something well, you can't continue to make progress. Great photographers, such as Douglas kirkland, always regard themselves as beginners. I have shared my knowledge with some self-righteous people. You know that. You tried to tell them what you just learned, but they hit you and said they already knew. Or they refuse to accept anything new because they don't want to change themselves. I'm telling you, this is the end of creativity. Put your pride aside and learn from others, even if you think you are at the top level. If you are really at the top, you can also learn from others.

Collect colors, any color

Choose a color and do exercises with it. You can do this for each color if you have time. Go out with a camera and take pictures with a certain color as the theme. If you choose blue, take photos mainly in blue. Pay attention to the water surface and the sky, and look for the dark blue shadows cast by the sun on the sky and the earth before sunset. Look for walls painted with blue textures. If you choose yellow, find a sunflower field or shoot something bathed in golden sunshine. You can even add the selected color to the photo later.

8. Follow famous photographers

Most photographers are kind and generous. Of course, some people don't want to be with people who seek mentors, but who wants to follow such people? Find a photographer you like, establish contact with them and invite them to lunch. If you are lucky, you can learn from them and even become their assistant. You can ask for help with lighting when they shoot, or just help with mobile devices. You will learn how they deal with customers. Carry equipment for them, invite them out to shoot together, invite them to dinner, or just have a drink. It is a difficult road to become an excellent photographer by self-study, and having a mentor will make everything different.

9. Find the golden ratio

Also known as the golden section, Fibonacci rule, etc. The golden ratio was discovered by Leonardo Fibonacci and widely used in nature, architecture and art. People think that this ratio is most in line with people's visual aesthetics and is also the most effective in nature. There is some debate about the golden ratio, but it is very interesting. The golden ratio is based on the dichotomy. If you have time, read the introduction of this theory online. Mastering the concept of golden ratio can greatly improve your ability to take photos that attract the attention of the audience.

10. Camera settings

If there is a camera setting that you are not familiar with, adjust the camera to that. Now, stick to this setting until you are completely used to it. If you can only adapt to automatic setting, I don't recommend using manual mode directly. But we must get rid of the automatic function. You should take the automatic function as the poison of creativity and photography technology. These functions deprive you of the right to say how photos should be presented, so you just take a picture and press the shutter.

You can start in Av, Tv or p mode. Spend at least one day using only one mode. If you need help, instructions are the best information. Once you have fixed one setting, try the next one until you finally use the unpopular M mode.

1 1. Understand the difference between inspiration and creativity.

There are many articles with similar content on the Internet, listing the methods to improve the photography level. Almost all these articles will tell you to appreciate other photographers' works online for inspiration. It's a good idea to some extent, but I will stay away from temptation. How to find your own style by imitating other people's works? If all your ideas come from other artists, how can you make your ideas come into being? Irving Schifflet of Viget.com wrote a very interesting and famous article, entitled How Inspiration Killed and Swallowed Creativity. I think every photographer should watch it.

If you are preparing for a family gathering, don't try to copy other photographers' ideas and post-processing methods from the Internet. Where is your originality? In the internet age, a lot of information is presented within a few seconds of your fingertips. When we are immersed in the works of other photographers, we lose our creativity. Instead, you should sit down, pick up a pencil and paper and start brainstorming. It's not easy, it will take some time, but you will gain a lot. How did you design pose? What filters, actions and settings are needed for post-processing? Look before you leap.

12. Find a subject that is not good at shooting, and then practice.

If you want to do anything well, it means you have to get out of your comfort zone. If you used to take photos of your family and old people, go out and take some scenic photos. Suddenly, your camera needs new settings. No model, no lighting assistant, no background or props, no requirements for depth of field and high-speed shutter. Now you should consider shooting from a new angle. The scenery won't listen to you. You can't tell it how to move or fill the light with a flash. Usually, landscape photos need large depth of field, low-speed shutter, tripod and new angles in composition and light. If you take the time to shoot things that you don't often shoot, I bet you can get new ideas when shooting familiar subjects. At the same time, I have a deeper understanding of the camera.

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Photographers I know rarely carry tripods with them, and you may have hardly seen amateurs carry tripods.

In fact, when you put the camera on a tripod, everything will become interesting. Suddenly everything slows down, and you won't fill up a memory card quickly by tapping left and right. When you use a tripod, you must take time to compose a picture, mainly because the camera can't move freely at this time. Now you have to put the tripod flat and move it left and right to adjust the plane position, so you have to slow down and think about your photos carefully.

Take 10 photos with the camera when you go out, and then immediately set up a tripod to take 10 photos. See which way is better. I bet it is the latter.

Join the local photography club.

As a photographer, one of the best things you can do is to contact other photographers online. Of course, the internet is an excellent tool that can't be ignored, but it is better to communicate face to face with people with ideas! There are many ways to find local photographers. You can join a local photographer's association or some photography clubs. It's best to find clubs with talented photographers and hold activities several times a month. Whether it is simply sweeping the streets in the city or some VIP shooting activities.

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