Here's the first in a series I call, "Getting to Know Us". It's a brief bio about the members of World Photography Collaboration; an idea of the type of photography they specialize in, and in this case, three wonderful tips on becoming the best photographer you can be.
I would like to introduce you all to Sarah Williams!
Sarah Williams is a California based photographer. She shoots equine events, creative portraits and fine art photography. Sarah works as a staff photographer for an equine publication, and she has had several gallery showings of her fine art work. Sarah is also a Moderator for World Photography Collaboration.
Please visit her website:
3 Tips For Becoming a More Mindful Photographer
So, if you, like me when I was starting out, are in that phase of your craft where you feel as though you’ve taken every shot possible of a glowing sunset or field of wildflowers, you’re probably ready to pull yourself back and start becoming more mindful of your art. This means taking into account all aspects of a scene, including lighting, shooting angle, creative depth of field, backgrounds and foregrounds... it means that you need to really begin thinking like a photographer.
You’ve packed up your gear, jumped in the car and rushed down to your favorite shooting spot. The sun is beginning to set and the world is drenched in golden light. The scene is set... it’s perfect.
Your eyes gather all the information around you and you grab your camera. This is the time when you need to exercise control and slow down. Don’t become a “machine gun” shooter and attempt to capture everything around you, rather take the time to sit back and really think about your shots. Choose a specific area with some good foreground interest and walk around it to see the way that the light hits from different angles. Look through your lens while standing, then get down low and have another look to see how the scene has changed. Look at every area of your photo; is there anything out of place? Maybe a trash can or a not so attractive bit of seaweed is infringing upon your shot. Compose and recompose, and don’t forget to work with your focus point to make sure that what you want in focus actually is in focus. Don’t worry about the minutes ticking by, because it isn’t about how many photos you can fire off in those two wonderful hours at the close of day, but rather how many really interesting and unique scenes that you can create.
When I made the jump to my first real DSLR, all that I wanted to do was take magical photos of perfect landscapes. The problem with this is that I really had no direction except for that I wanted to get good shots. I didn’t know how light worked, or how different depths of field could impact my shots. I didn’t understand the rule of thirds or how to use leading lines. I ended up with a lot of photos that looked pretty flat and uninteresting, which was a little discouraging. So, I studied everything that I could in terms of how to operate my camera, and then I stumbled upon a technique that really changed the way that I looked at things. Instead of rushing out to catch the sunset every night, I started spending time in my neighborhood. I walked around and really looked at things; not just full scenes, but small things like leaves and stones, or brick walkways and interesting front doors. I began working with both wide and narrow apertures, throwing different areas of my shots in and out of focus. I dabbled in some macro work, and then I
brought along my tripod to work on simple long exposures of street scenes. I spent time at the park taking candid shots of strangers walking their dogs, and I worked up the nerve to walk up to people and ask if they minded spending a moment or two posing for me in
front of the camera so that I could practice my portrait techniques (you’d be surprised how well met this is by most people, by the way). All of this trial and error did wonders for my skills as a photographer, but more importantly, it helped me to find my own style.
Okay, so maybe you don’t need to bring your camera “everywhere”, but the idea here is that there is no way you are going to improve if you don’t actually shoot. I’ve met so many aspiring photographers that do 90% “thinking and wanting” and only 10% shooting. They get a few good shots and then start working on their website or trying to figure out how to make money off of their work, which are not bad things, but too many people dive into the deep end too quickly. I have to admit, I can be faulted for a bit of this myself; I got some early success and started into the “pro scene” really quickly, and then I hit a plateau.
My work wasn’t getting any better, and I began focusing more on a
“business” than on the nuts and bolts of my art. The truth is that a good photographer never stops learning, so if we want to be really good we need to practice...always. How do we practice? We take pictures. How do we take pictures? By having our camera with
us. Iron this into your brain; repeat it over and over if you have to. The point to figuring out a way to bring your camera with you as often as possible is that it will keep you thinking like a photographer throughout the day. You may find yourself at the gas station and suddenly the way that the light is hitting the gas pump will jump out at you, and because you have your camera, you will be able take a moment or two and play with this idea that is in your head. The more often that you think like a photographer, the easier it will become to figure out how you want to capture a scene... things like leading lines and creative focal points will start to jump out at you. You will see the world differently.
Hopefully these little tips will help you as you continue your journey of becoming a photographer. Remember, you have your own unique vision and style hiding someplace inside, and these are the things that will set you apart from the millions of other people who also “take pictures”. No one can be you, and the world needs to see what you have to offer.
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