How to improve your Photography

This is a quick guide aimed at those who understand the basics of photography but want to take it to the next level. So you should be at the point of being comfortable with photography 101 stuff, aperture, shutter speed, iso etc.

This is just my short little list based on the last 25 years of my own screw ups. So maybe it will help others.

Scott Douglass

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1. Use Good Equipment

Unfortunately this is the sad reality. There is no way a $200 lens can compare to a $2000 lens. Using lesser equipment can simply lead to frustration as you push your equipment beyond what it can do. On the plus side though, there is a lot of good equipment that can be purchased second hand, and in real terms photography has never been cheaper to get into.

Buy the best you can and plan what you need before you buy it. As time goes on you can expand your collection of equipment and trade up. The resale market for lenses in particular is always very good.

(Provided you don't drop it into the beach sand and then rinse it in the sea.)

The other side not to forget though - just because you have good equipment doesn't mean you can take good photographs. So don't be intimidated if your surrounded by people carrying 20k around their neck.

2. Know how to use it

So you have your kit, now the hard part...learning how to use it. Study the manuals, go to the library and surf the net. If you don't - trust me you will regret it. You will have the settings wrong at the very worst time. Service centres are full of returned lenses for back focus and all sorts of complaints when it is a simple issue of increasing shutter speed. The list here is endless.

One good example is once where I got a new flash and went out into the forest and come across a rare type of vine snake, they are not that uncommon but are difficult to find. (You know green snake in green forest issues...). Anyway I 90% messed it up purely because I wanted to get out there and didn't want to do the boring part of studying the manual.

IS is another classic example, knowing when to use it...and when to switch it off. My advice these days is to take your camera into a dark room and see if you can still use it and find everything you need. Only when you can do that are you ready to take it out into the field.

Basically if you have to take your eye away from the finder to change settings....you missed the shot. Of course nobody will listen to this advice (I definitely wouldn't have), but it is the basic truth of things. Then again when you screw it up yourself and want to sit banging your head against the wall - you won’t forget things like checking shutter speed when you change lenses and so on...

3. Use the right equipment

This seems obvious but really if your interests are macro...don't buy a wide angle and so on. Telephotos' are expensive but be realistic about what you can do with what you have. If you don't have a spare 15k for a lens then you will have to work on your field craft to get closer and so on. There are always solutions and compromises.

More subtly if you are in the market for say a body, think about what sort of shooting you will want to do. e.g. Some bodies will handle low light better than others.

Think about those sort of issues in advance and save yourself some grief and frustration.

4. Know your subject

I like to think of myself as a wildlife / nature photographer although I have dabbled in most areas at one time or another. Which is basically why I would never do a wedding, I wouldn't have a clue where to stand, where to be, what is going on etc. I would be completely lost and it would be a disaster.

The more you know about your subject the easier it becomes. In reality a lot of forethought and planning goes along with most good shots (and a bit of luck). If your a sports photographer you can plan where is best to position yourself. For wildlife photographers you can actually find what you are looking for and so on.

5. Ae or Av

Contrary to everyone I would suggest using shutter priority as a standard setting. At least for general use, it is much easier to get a decent shot on the fly. If you have more time you can then go to aperture or manual as the situation demands.

For me this works because I will often walk miles through wilderness so can shoot fast if something comes up and know I will get a decent photograph. If I see a wildflower then I can take my time setting up the shot.

Get a decent shot before it flies/runs off. Then if you have more time you can do the fine tuning of your shots.

In the end you need to find out what works for what you do, but that is my thoughts on the matter. Stay away from presets if at all possible. You learn nothing and lose too much control.

6. Understand Light

Do take some time to study light and lighting. Then you can make it work for you, fill flash can be great when used wisely. Experiment with your camera in different conditions, after a while you will get to know when it is worthwhile snapping away. Sometimes it isn't or you are pushing your equipment beyond what it can do.

If you are ever anywhere near water or reflections learn about polarisation.

By understanding light and anticipating you can pull off decent shots. This one is a low res from Kata Beach, Thailand. It took a few afternoons of planning and just watching before any real photography took place.

7. Anticipate

This is linked in to 4. but you should be able to anticipate what comes next. With wildlife this is important from experience, but with any type of photography you should know where to position yourself and be thinking two steps ahead. For a sports photographer this might mean taking an educated guess on where the ball is going next, the wedding photographer will have a good idea of what is going to happen when x happens during the ceremony.

If you are into landscapes and are familiar with the place, you can plan your timing accordingly.

You get the idea.

8. Be comfortable

Photography isn't always that much fun, often it just sucks being where you have to be. It is crowded, hot cold, uncomfortable...you name it. And often you are stuck there for hours...sometimes days. Make sure you are comfortable and have the right clothing and a good pack for your kit. Snacks, water and so on. Don't put cold drinks in with your camera!

If you are comfortable you can concentrate on taking the pics.

If you are comfortable you can easily take great shots. Shooting Waratah in NSW Australia.

9. Be Safe

Related to 8. but think about what you are doing, wildlife photography can obviously involve risky situations, but most photography I can think of also can. Some people object to their picture being taking in street photography, weddings are notorious for fights. Even photographing your kids at weekend sporting events has turned into ugly clashes in recent years.

And of course walking around strange neighbourhoods with expensive camera gear means you need to use some street smarts at times. In this case anticipate problems before they occur and you should be fine. Use some street smarts.

Sometimes a compact is great, it slips into your pocket and is inconspicuous. If you're in an unfamiliar city go explore in a low profile way first. Remember in many countries your camera kit would probably feed and house an entire family for the next 5+yrs.

TIP: Before you go out fold your map up so you can palm it. Don't stand in the street with 10k of camera gear with a huge map fluttering in the wind. You may as well just hold up a huge sign saying "roll me". If you feel unsafe - keep walking - don't give people the idea that you really have no idea where you are or what you are doing.

If you are out in the wilds, as always let someone know what you are doing and be prepared for the local environment and any other dangers, animals etc. Be aware of basic survival techniques for your environment - and have the extra kit you need for that.

10. Practice

These days there is no reason at all not to practice, digital means you can snap away to your heart’s content. In the old days it cost serious money just to see your photographs, even if you developed them yourself with your own darkroom. I have plenty of exposed film laying about that for whatever reason I never got developed at the time (probably broke). These days you don't have that problem, so shoot away.

The downside to that of course is just taking lots 1000 crap pics for once good picture. The click and hope for the best approach. Try and think about each shot, since it quickly becomes a nightmare going through 300 of the same the picture just because you thought it sounded cool at the time.

Do definitely look at your messed up images, if anything these are the most important as you can see what went wrong. Figure out why.