Seven stages that a photographer must go through.

No technology can be practiced overnight, and so can photography. If you want to be an excellent photographer, you should not only be proficient in photography skills, but also have an aesthetic foundation and understanding of photography itself. Generally speaking, in the process of photography, we will inevitably go through the following stages.

The first stage: recorder

This stage can be collectively referred to as a period of not paying attention to skills. You just like to take pictures. Simply press the shutter with your digital camera or mobile phone, and you can simply record every bit of life without paying attention to photography skills such as aperture shutter exposure and composition. Don't think too much, just press the shutter to record.

The second stage: semi-attention skills

At this stage, you are not satisfied with simply pressing the shutter. The automatic exposure of the machine does not always achieve the effect you want to shoot. You want to take more beautiful photos, so you start to care about simple skills, understand the three elements of exposure, and understand the influence of aperture shutter on imaging.

You even start to care about the equipment and want to know what kind of equipment can shoot the effect you want.

You know that taking pictures depends not only on equipment, but also on technology, skills and experience, but you still want to take shortcuts and get the effect you want through equipment.

At this time, you are just a photographer. Photography is an important interest in your life, but it doesn't occupy a large proportion.

The third stage: focus on technology

At this stage, what you really care about is the influence of technology on photography, and you begin to systematically learn photography skills, composition and how to use light. At this time, you should have a good camera, you will configure several lenses with different focal lengths for yourself, and even begin to learn tent shooting and lighting techniques.

You will start to learn Photoshop, because you know that the perfect later stage is also part of the whole photography process. At this time, you have taken photography as a part of your life. No matter what the future holds, photography will accompany you all your life.

The fourth stage: pay too much attention to technology

I believe you can take good-looking photos at this stage, because your photography technology is relatively mature. However, you are too obsessed with skills, blindly believe in the perfection of parameters, pursue the absolute quality of image quality, but ignore the soul of photography.

You will encounter a bottleneck, and how to shoot it is all that content, as if there is no progress. Many people may stop at this stage, and they will start to use photography as a tool of life and make money by taking pictures. But will you be content to take the same photos day after day?

The fifth stage: reflection photography

After the last stage of stagnation, I believe you have realized that those skills are just means, and only the finished work is the purpose. All the skills are for the soul of the photo. What you have to do is not only adjust the parameters and press the shutter, but also tell stories with photos.

So every time you press the shutter, you will think about what you want to express. You have less time to pick up the camera and take pictures, but your work is more fulfilling. Yes, they may look "not so beautiful", but the photos are beginning to convey something to the audience.

You begin to stop being superstitious about equipment, but to skillfully use the equipment in your hand and give full play to their functions. You start to make some simple shooting plans and start thematic and systematic shooting.

Stage 6: Maturity

At this time, photography is no longer an enjoyable interest for you, but a tool to talk. You can master the tools in your hand and make intentional works.

If you are a commercial photographer, you can take advantage of the current shooting situation to skillfully shoot the effect that customers want and the meaning they want to express. If you are engaged in visual creation, then your work can be your own photo exhibition. At this time, your works will make you famous in the industry and greatly enhance your position in the circle.

Stage 7: Marriage

Every work you shoot is not a simple photo, but a complete system, and every photo tells a profound story. Photography skills and concepts are your convenient playthings. You are not only a photographer, but also a photographer.

Few people can reach the seventh stage. Most people stop at the third and fourth stages. Unless you take photography as your profession, it is really difficult to take time out to learn photography in your busy work life. It takes a lot of time and energy to break through every stage. You need to keep shooting and feeling to improve yourself.