Friday, July 7, 2023
Pressing the shutter button is the easy part. Everything else—the knowledge, the timing, the experience—takes effort.
Most of what you read, watch, or hear in workshops suggests a "do this to get better" approach. But in photography, there are no absolutes; there are only guides. To truly improve, you have to get out there, take the shots, and honestly analyze your results.
If I had to name the only "absolutes," they would be composition, focus, and what Matt Kloskowski calls "The Why." Why did you take the photo in the first place? Beyond that, everything is a choice. You might know the "rules" of composition, but which one fits this specific moment?
Here is why every "rule" comes with a "but..."
The Great "Buts" of Photography
"Use Aperture Priority for landscapes..." BUT if anything is moving—the wind in the trees or people walking by—you have to consider shutter speed. If your ISO is fixed, the camera will chase a "proper" exposure by adjusting your shutter speed. If it drops too low, you’ll lose that sharpness. (A good rule of thumb: keep your shutter speed at least 1/focal length for handheld shots).
"Use Shutter Priority for motion..." BUT remember that your camera will adjust the aperture to compensate. If you’re shooting a landscape at 1/600s on a windy day, your camera might open up to f/4.0. Is your background still sharp? Maybe, maybe not.
"Use a low ISO for a clean photo..." BUT don't be afraid of the dark. Modern sensors and AI software handle noise beautifully. I’d rather have a sharp, well-exposed shot with some noise than a "clean" shot that is blurry because the ISO was too low. Get the shot first.
"Never use AUTO..." BUT it’s a great tool to find a baseline or to use when you’re handing your camera to a friend. Often, the result is perfectly acceptable.
"Use JPEG..." BUT remember that a JPEG is like a wrapped deli ham sandwich. You can unwrap it and add some mustard, but it’s always going to be a ham sandwich. It’s fine for immediate posting, but your editing options are limited.
"Use RAW..." BUT know that it might look a bit "flat" on your LCD screen. The magic is in the post-processing—where you can turn that basic ham sandwich into a toasted turkey and ham panini.
"Use a fast shutter speed to stop blur..." BUT is that what you actually want? Photography is an artistic choice. Do you want to freeze a bird in flight, or do you want to show the beautiful motion of the wings through a bit of blur?
"Aperture controls Depth of Field (DoF)..." BUT it isn't the only factor. Your sensor size, your distance from the subject, and your focal length often matter more than your f-stop.
"Use Evaluative Metering..." BUT remember that your camera is just trying to turn everything into 18% gray. Whether you use evaluative, center-weighted, or spot metering, the camera is just doing math to find that middle gray. You have to decide if that's actually the look you want.
"A new camera will improve my photography..." NO, it won't. If you’re taking bad photos now, a more expensive camera will just take high-resolution bad photos. New gear might have better autofocus or cooler menus, but it won’t make you a better artist. Learn your current gear to its absolute limit first.
The Bottom Line
There is no single "secret" to being a better photographer. It’s a combination of all these variables and, most importantly, knowing your tool. Whether you’re using a cell phone or the latest high-end mirrorless, you need to know which button does what without thinking about it. If you don't know your camera, you can't use it to its full potential.
To paraphrase President Kennedy: We choose to become better photographers not because it is easy, but because it is hard.
The only way to get there is to keep shooting and keep analyzing.
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