Practice Makes Perfect

Image copyright Ian Ho 2007

[Cross-posted at vjphotosoc.blogspot.com]

Practice makes perfect. Perhaps you've heard of this old adage many many times before, but boy is it true when it comes to photography.

Many people want to succeed in their photography, quickly. But there's no shortcut to success. The only way to improve is to practice! Shoot more, snap more, see more. As photographers, we must come to recognise the importance of integrating shooting time into our regular schedules. MAKE time for photography. Maybe set aside 2 hours every Saturday and head down to the park near your house to get some shots. Or sign up to cover more events in college! The more you shoot, the more familiar you are with the camera, the more confident you get with your skills and that's how you improve.

But besides shooting more, it is also advisable to look more and share more. Look at more good photos. Be it online, in bookstores, libraries, newspapers, visiting exhibitions etc., looking at more good pictures by professional photographers WILL go a long way to inspire you and give you the impetus to shoot better images than before. And if need be, start by emulating these good images. Ask yourself: how was this image created? What makes it so special? But don't stop there... try to create YOUR own original image after that.

Then, share more. With digital photography and the Internet, sharing images with fellow photographers and friends has never been easier. There's Flickr, Facebook, blogs etc., so many avenues for you to publish your photos and receive feedback. Ask your fellow photog members to critique your photos, and learn from your mistakes. That's another fast way to improve in your photography - make mistakes.

These are just some quick tips on how to improve your photos if you're just starting out. Remember: shoot more, look more, share more!