I take great photos (IMO) with what I’ve got (Olympus C5000) but I want to get better. It’s always been my dream so I’ve moved to New York City and I’m buying a Canon Rebel XSi. Is there a process to become great? Should I take classes or just start shooting?
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Just start shooting whenever you have your camera, and take classes on the side. Wherever you go, bring your camera. Take a picture of anything that you see and like. Practice makes perfect.
I’ve taken some beautiful pictures of random places that I go. I try to take my camera everywhere with me, but sometimes I forget it.
How are the Olympus cameras? I just have a Sony Cybershot.
As answered above, yea.
You have to begin with camera on your hand everywhere, take whatever you like, after some time, you’ll be a better photographer.
I heard a lecture from a fairly well known nature photographer that summed it up really well. Jim Clark does not consider himself to be an outstanding photographer, citing examples where his (10yo) son has outclassed him. However, if you look at the pictures he’s taken you’re probably thinking to yourself, “yeah right, there’s now way I could do that…”
His quote? “Spend 365 days learning your gear, and the rest of your life learning composition.”
My personal advice is to take turns with experimentation and designing your pictures. Experimentation is fun, unpredictable, and sometimes very rewarding. Design can be much more challenging, but equally rewarding. It makes me feel like I actually did something when I do it on purpose instead of by accident. However, if you never experiment you never have new paths of inspiration.
Fill up your memory card with lots of photos of the same subject at different angles, depth of field, exposure, etc. Once you’ve gone through and found the ones you like and find out why you like them. Is it the composition? Focus? Perspective?
Of course, you might not be such a perfectionist like I am
If you know basic composition, aperture/ISO/shutter speed, and how the camera functions then give the classes a miss. They would most likely be trying to teach you what you already know.
Going along with the overwhelming sentiment, start with your using your camera to capture what you see. The process comes with experience. Classes couldn’t hurt, but they are not necessary.
I’m at an art institute now for photography (rebel xsi AMAZING!) but honestly the best advice they give you is just to keep shooting. the more you take the more you find your own “groove” and how you can get inspired. You really don’t need to go to school for that. the degree is nice though!