The Best Way to Learn Photography

Man of Mayalan village, in the northern Guatemalan mountains.

Photography looks easy. Modern cameras focus for us, set the exposure (and often get it right, or close enough), can fire off a dozen frames so we can choose the best one (assuming at least one of them will be good), and can shoot hundreds of frames and store them all on a tiny card. It's all amazingly convenient. And you might even get a few worthwhile pictures that way.

But that is something anyone can do. Good photography isn't easy, no matter what the camera ads tell you. So, how do you rise to the level of making pictures that please you consistently?

One of the best ways I've found to improve your photography is to study your own pictures. Look through your photographs. When you find one you especially like, ask yourself what it is that you like about it. Of course you will like pictures of subjects that are important to you, but that's not what I'm talking about. Look at the composition, the way a picture is framed. Look at the light. How is it revealing the subject? How about timing? Did you shoot a little too soon or too late? Is the exposure appropriate, or is it too light or too dark? If you think the picture could be improved, ask yourself how you could make it better. Likewise, study the failures. How could you have made them better?

Another man of Mayalan. Which do you prefer? Why?

Look at your own photographs with a critical eye, and also look at the work of other photographers to see what you can learn from them. There are scads of photographs online, but I prefer to study them in books. Libraries have always been a resource for me. Check out your local library to see what they have. 

Photos: Olympus OM camera, Vivitar 75-205 f3.8 lens. Not a particularly distinguished lens, but in sharp light it gives sharp results. Fujichrome 100 film.

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $4.50 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail me a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2024 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:   photography      travel      Guatemala      Mayalan      Olympus OM cameras       Fujichrome 100 film     Vivitar 75-205mm f3.8 lens