So how do I improve?

Speedy136

Speedy136

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Nick
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Ok! so have got to the frustrating stage where I think I am doing things right but obviously not. Very few comments on here or flickr proves this point.
Does everyone go through a block where they just struggle to capture what they see in their minds eye:shake:
Sometimes it is sharpness sometimes composition etc etc. I appreciate I need to hone my processing skills also.
If any of you more seasoned guys had a block how did you get past it to improve your photograpy?

Thanks
Nick
 
Speedy136 said:
Very few comments on here or flickr proves this point.
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Not necessarily - sometimes it's more a reflection on the viewer knowing what to say rather than the photo itself ... there's a bit of reticence in just saying "good shot" and sometimes it's just difficult to find useful crit.
I think there is value in finding a local pro who does workshops - many do 1/2 day, day or weekends and this can be very useful. Select one who does what you like to do - I went with one who specialised in architectural which I'm not greatly into and although there were some useful teaching points it wasn't really the best choice.
I'm doing a day workshop on landscapes next week and I am hoping that will help me improve in that area.
 
Hi Gramps, now the landscape course sounds a fun course to do! Was looking at a wildlife course run by K1 photography at our local zoo but I am a bit tied with my current lenses being no longer than 120mm at the moment. Appreciate what you say about the crit not always reflective of the image as well.
I think some of it is not capturing what you see in your mind before pressing the shutter and some is just not seeing the image full stop although it is staring you in the face.
Will check out what courses there are local and see what they have to offer. Maybe I need to start getting out with other togs and share some of their experiences.
Thanks for stopping by Gramps:)
 
Hi, I just looked at some of your recent posts. You seem to have the average amount of feedback that photos get on here. I like your scooter shots.

To get more viewers on Flickr you have to join groups and post your photos in lots of them. I don't know if you are already doing that. You can also add tags to your photos that search engines pick up on and this helps. Also if you comment on lots of peoples photos and mark them as favourites, they are likely to do the same in return.

I wouldn't necessarily assume that you can measure the quality of your photos from the amount of feedback you get though, as that largely relates to how many people see your photos. You must look at lots of other peoples photos and know how yours stack up against them.

Another area that change average photos in to good ones is the post processing. May be you could try an learn more about that if it interests you. This is the area I am try to work on (as well as trying to get a decent photo to start with).
 
Andrew your point on the volume of people seeing the photos depends on how many comments you receive on Flickr makes absolute sense. Sometimes it is my own criticism that is the harshest.
You are absolutely right about the processing! my son works for the local newspaper and is a wizard on Photoshop but trying to get him to sit down and run through some things is like getting blood out of a stone:
PS your processing is pretty outstanding:)
 
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Here's a useful and inexpensive book to give you some ideas about composition etc.
 
I was/am at that point too. Tips I've picked up: Try and look at each area of your photography:-

- composition
- focus
- focus point
- depth of field
- exposure

Then concentrate on taking loads of photos, play around with settings etc until you are happy with that aspect. There are loads of online articles to help.
 
Oops missed out

- lighting

Which is kind of the most important one!!!
 
Speedy136 said:
Ok! so have got to the frustrating stage where I think I am doing things right but obviously not. Very few comments on here or flickr proves this point.
Does everyone go through a block where they just struggle to capture what they see in their minds eye:shake:
Sometimes it is sharpness sometimes composition etc etc. I appreciate I need to hone my processing skills also.
If any of you more seasoned guys had a block how did you get past it to improve your photograpy?

Thanks
Nick
Click to expand...

Books, Youtube and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
 
Speedy136 said:
...
If any of you more seasoned guys had a block how did you get past it to improve your photograpy?

Thanks
Nick
Click to expand...
It helps if you love what you're shooting. I get bored shooting landscapes or objects.

I love shooting people, and I love shooting Rally cars. I wouldn't care if I could never take another landscape or wildlife shot again in my life. Others would have the opposite view.

What I would say from the casual view of your work is that you haven't yet grasped the importance of light. When I say importance, you have realised that sometimes it's better than others, but you're accepting what's there and expecting better results.
 
Thank you for the helpful replies, Jan the Books will be really helpful, thank you.
Sarah I think composition and lighting are my weaker points.
Phil I have read a lot of your posts and have the greatest respect for your knowledge and work, you are always willing to help and your posts not only make sense but are understandable. I accept subject and composition is a bit weak at times but I think you hit the nail on the head with lighting. I think one of my problems is wrong light at wrong time of day and making do with what is available. Obviously some types of lighting has to be accepted or there would be no shot at all but maybe I need to start thinking more about what time of day I shoot and how I use what light is available.
Also gonna work on that composition:)
Thanks again guys:)
 
Speedy136 said:
Ok! so have got to the frustrating stage where I think I am doing things right but obviously not. Very few comments on here or flickr proves this point.
Does everyone go through a block where they just struggle to capture what they see in their minds eye:shake:
Sometimes it is sharpness sometimes composition etc etc. I appreciate I need to hone my processing skills also.
If any of you more seasoned guys had a block how did you get past it to improve your photograpy?

Thanks
Nick
Click to expand...

You mention sharpness, composition and processing. Do ANY of those make an interesting shot? They effect how sharp the image is, or where the subject is within the frame, and it's colours, contrast etc... but do these things make an image interesting?

Also... lighting. You neglect to discuss lighting. Lighting is THE biggest influence over how a photograph is read and perceived. Lighting sets the mood, tone of voice, atmosphere etc. It also flatters, or emphasises the formal qualities of the subject.
 
Hi David, thanks for stopping by:) It seems the recurring subject is lighting! I have started to study it more and see how different times of day and different conditions change.
I am trying to get back to basics and start understanding all the variables that hopefully create that better shot.
 
i've taken loads and loads of photos that work in my head and turn out to be " meh" when I view them on the laptop. That said, I haven't been taking photos for very long - about 2 and a half years so am still learning ( and trying to remember all the technical stuff that isn't 100% natural yet ).

I went through a block when I first got my camera but now I'm quite happy to take my camera to most places and find something to shoot, maybe from a slightly different view point than the "point and shooters" would. As long is the subject matter isn't samey, then I don't get bored - a variety of lenses help out for me.

Most of all, its a hobby - try and enjoy yourself. We're all critical of our own work after all but there must be some great places to shoot on the IoW.
 
damianmkv said:
i've taken loads and loads of photos that work in my head and turn out to be " meh" when I view them on the laptop. That said, I haven't been taking photos for very long - about 2 and a half years so am still learning ( and trying to remember all the technical stuff that isn't 100% natural yet ).

I went through a block when I first got my camera but now I'm quite happy to take my camera to most places and find something to shoot, maybe from a slightly different view point than the "point and shooters" would. As long is the subject matter isn't samey, then I don't get bored - a variety of lenses help out for me.

Most of all, its a hobby - try and enjoy yourself. We're all critical of our own work after all but there must be some great places to shoot on the IoW.
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Thanks for the inspiration:thumbs: I find the Island is great for sea scapes and some landscape but I am still not sure if that is the direction I want to go. I am automatically drawn to those sort of shots but they have all been done to death. I think my main problem is I am still not sure which niche I want to follow.
 
When you first got your camera, what did you buy it for ? Was there something specific that you wanted to shoot ?
 
damianmkv said:
When you first got your camera, what did you buy it for ? Was there something specific that you wanted to shoot ?
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Nothing specific, I was heavily into photography in the film and ektachrome days. Missed it badly and was always desperate to start again.
I really enjoy the walkaround with the camera and snapping whatever I come across. TBH I just enjoy being able to shut out the world and look at things in a different way. Have a really stressful job and this allows me to forget about it for a while.
 
One option I'm looking into us joining a group of like minded individuals, with a view to picking up knowledge, tips and critique. Maybe worth looking into if there is one near you
 
ChrisHeathcote said:
One option I'm looking into us joining a group of like minded individuals, with a view to picking up knowledge, tips and critique. Maybe worth looking into if there is one near you
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We have local groups but my shifts have me working more evenings than not. Still worth a visit though and try to meet with other photographers.
 
The things that I found got me the best photos were not being shy (get in there and take photos) while not being shady or mysterious; Hanging back doesn't usually work, I've found it best to form relationships with people, get them to like you and get the nervousness of a camera our the way and done with asap. Really nervous people you should get near to and photo everyone else so they get used to the noises and eventually relax. Delete unflattering photos and only show nice ones they would be happy with.

Also, photographing from a point of view that people rarely get to see. The underside of anything that flies is boring, as does the top of a mushroom. Get underneath it, and you have something cool :)

If you don't really know what you really like yet, you should macro photography too, that's a lot of fun - especially if you couple a cheap magnifying lens with one of your lenses. I used a Raynox lens for about £25 and my 90mm macro lens to get a moth up close and it's one of my favourite macro shots ever.

Lastly, faking (setting up) your shots is pretty much a necessity. If you ever see a nice dew on the leaves of a flower, it was probably sprayed on by the photographer first. You can attract insects with honey. You should pay real attention to the out of focus background that you'll set your shot up with, because it's your frame... I had a picture of a friend hitting a cricket ball with them swinging and out of focus, and the ball flying towards the lens, but really I just held it near and it people wondered how I managed to get it. Just think to yourself, "how can I fake this?" and you might get some ideas :)

I'm a rank amateur at best, but these little tips helped me out and I wish someone would have just told me in the beginning! :)
 
Hi Speedy,

I have been reading through some of these comments on this forum and all of them are perfectly good advice. I have given lessons to a number of different skill levels and what I find best is if I am with them when they try to take a shot to see what it is that they want and what it is that they are not happy about.

When it comes to practicing with photography I have a certain method that has served me well from the beginning. When you see an image you want to get describe it to yourself in as much detail as possible. For example if you want to shoot a portrait outside and you want a very shallow Depth of Field your priority is the Aperture set up. Everything else comes second.

So if you decide that you want a shallow depth of say f2.8 all other settings need to accommodate for this. Just remember certain basic rules. NEVER shoot slower than 1/60th second if hand held. So now you have a setting of 2.8 with 1/60th of a second. Now comes the ISO. Well that is self explanatory. Set it to what ever gets you closest to a correct exposure reading. Then tweak accordingly. So you may end up with f2.8 with 1/125th shutter and ISO200. Thats the camera sorted, as for the lighting the trusty speedlite is the best kit to cary all the time. I use my speedlite more in daylight to rid the dreaded lunchtime shadow on location portraits than I do at night.

If you apply just this method for setting up for a shot you should be okay. Last piece of advice, if something doesn't come out as you wanted it to. Make sure you look at the metadata so you know what settings were used when you review. This is the key to learning in photography because this replaces the notepad and pen when using film back in the day. You can only learn if you identify your mistakes. Don't forget everyone has been here no matter how professional they are now.
 
Thanks Matthew, some very good points you made there! The main one is I am now trying to think more about what I am doing so much so I use manual most of the time.
Always great to get encouragement.
 
Idlefrog said:
Another area that change average photos in to good ones is the post processing.
Click to expand...


IMO that's the worst advice to give to a beginner.

great photographs are not made in post processing, they are made by understanding lighting, light, and how it all works. Coupled with composition and the ability to understand that great images are of interest to other people, not just yourself.

Post processing can improve images if the processing is complimentary to the subject matter, but to advise this to a beginner usually results in them abandoning the craft of photography, and embracing the craft of digital image manipulation.

You can't have one without the other, and out of the two, the craft of photography should clearly be the first area to become skilled in.
 
Hi Nick
I live on the Isle of Wight (in the wild west :) ) and have been going to IWDIG at Dimbola Lodge for almost a year now. Unlike most camera clubs, there is no monthly competition but we do sometimes have tasks, and mostly it is instructional - in that one guy teaches us. Topics vary but include post processing, monitor calibration, composition etc.

Like all the camera clubs round here it seems, it is on a Weds evening. I've never been to any others so I'm not really sure how it compares, but I'm sure you'd be welcome if you wanted to check it out and it's not expensive.

Barb
 
I always found that a few days off helped to refocus myself.

Try looking at other peoples work, seeing something you like and then learn the theory on how you replicate it. Go out and try your best to replicate what they have done and you'll learn loads.
 
Jaffster said:
I always found that a few days off helped to refocus myself.

Try looking at other peoples work, seeing something you like and then learn the theory on how you replicate it. Go out and try your best to replicate what they have done and you'll learn loads.
Click to expand...

Good plan Danny! There are some great images on TP that I would love to aspire to.
 
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