Ideas on how to practise please

[fotogfun]

I'm fairly new to this but want to get better and take some really good photos. I know I need to practise but am not sure how to move forward.

I was thinking of finding a list of photo assignments as a way of moving me away from my comfort zone and adding a challenge. I normally take landscapes when I'm out walking but we've had days of grey, flat cloud which I think rarely makes good photos and now we don't have much daylight before and after work. Any ideas on how to move myself forward welcomed.

 

[fjrabon]

I'm fairly new to this but want to get better and take some really good photos. I know I need to practise but am not sure how to move forward.

I was thinking of finding a list of photo assignments as a way of moving me away from my comfort zone and adding a challenge. I normally take landscapes when I'm out walking but we've had days of grey, flat cloud which I think rarely makes good photos and now we don't have much daylight before and after work. Any ideas on how to move myself forward welcomed.

Well, your first idea is a good one, but also you should be challenging yourself to take great photos in any environment. A true photographer can have pretty much any set of circumstances thrown his or her way and produce results people are glad to pay for.

 

[480sparky]

Make your own list, then go forth and actuate.

 

[MLeeK]

Whenever I get in a slump I return to the lessons of basic composition and start a thorough study based on it. You never fail to see something new and differently every time.

 

[fjrabon]

Whenever I get in a slump I return to the lessons of basic composition and start a thorough study based on it. You never fail to see something new and differently every time.

Yep, I'm currently re-reading the Michael Freeman compositional trilogy (photographer's eye, photographer's mind, photographer's vision), along with Joe McNally's sketching light. and like every other page I have one of those "woah, I guess I totally missed that the first time around" moments.

 

[Tuffythepug]

Try taking one subject at a time and shooting it in a variety of ways. different angles, different settings for aperture and shutter, different focal points, different crops, etc.
Then look at your results and figure out why some worked and others didn't. I find that approaching a scene or a subject in an un-expected way gets the artistic blood flowing.
The hour(s) before work and after work are, more than likely, the best hours to shoot because the light is usually more flattering to almost any subject.
Yes, give yourself assignments and explore them fully. the only way to improve is to keep shooting and think about every aspect of each shot until it all becomes second nature.
Good Luck. I know you will see improvement with practice.

 

[jaicatalano]

Aside from TPF If would check out Digital Photography Tips: Digital Photography School. Follow along on some of their weekly challenges which will challenge you. Don't rush. It's a process. Even great photographers are always learning and getting better.

I wish you well and look forward to seeing some of your images.

 

[KmH]

Make a plan, and set some specific goals based on what aspect of your photography you want to work on.
Be it understanding and controlling depth-of-field, composition, subject selection, exposure control, creative use of shutter speed, understanding how the exposure triad adjustments relate, use of shutter, or aperture priority, how each metering mode affects the in camera light meter and exposure, etc.

 

[Overread]

Find something that interests you and then challenge yourself.

Trying to learn "all forms" of photography will just swamp you in way too much information all at once and in trying to pull you a million different ways at once. Furthermore trying to self learn on subjects you don't find interesting just won't work at all. So find things that interest you and then start a project - aim to challenge yourself within that field of interest.

You might find it helpful to look for a few specialist interest groups - maybe a landscape dedicated forum or books - try to broaden your understanding within the field of your interest. Furthermore most groups that form around a specific subject tend to raise the bar, and thus associating with them is more likely to raise your own bar of quality and skill as well.

 

[cool09]

Try some architecture and experiment with focal depth and color. Like an old stone cathedral. (See how well you can match the color of the stone.) I used to go to Valley Forge Nat'l Park and practice on the Washington Memorial Cathedral, some of the statues, the very intricate archways (below) at different angles and distances and try to shoot the spire at the top and see what type of light and detail I could get, etc. There's also a small waterfall there which I would shoot at fast and slow shutter speeds to see what effects I could get.

Valley Forge Chapel | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Panoramio - Photo of Sculpture in Courtyard - Valley Forge Episcopal Chapel

Over/Under Exposure: Experiment with shots that contain lots of contrast with an object in the frame which reflects lots of light (like a metal object) to see which parts of the photo become over- and under-exposed. Practice to find a balanced exposure.

Shoot some trees before Fall is over and see how good the color and detail comes out.

 

[orb9220]

Yep I take my camera out daily going to appointments,store,errands or just what I call walkabouts even for just 30mins-1hr kind of thing. Start looking around you start to notice things above or below. How light comes into a tree or strikes the side of buildings. How people are moving,behaving.

Could be a flower or leaf laying on the sidewalk. Or unique lampost or a tree. A person sitting on a bench reading or playing a musical instrument. To a funny dressed individual or bike rider passing by. Watch for puddles and reflections for unique abstract play of shapes & colors.

The first is starting to fine tune a new way to look at the world around you. Since before photography my mind's eye tuned those things out. And had to retrain myself to start noticing them again. And most times I do not go out with a plan of what to photograph. I let the world present itself to me.

I just need to start to notice it. And cloudy mundane days are just another way the world presents itself and it's up to me to select and find the interesting and unique subjects that are still there.

The biggest hurdle is not shooting because you can't think of what to shoot or where to go. And then leave your camera home.

Take your camera with you and get out there and shoot. Start looking and really seeing and noticing what is around you.
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