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Posted: 6/20/2015 6:40:52 PM EDT
Thought this might be a fun thread. What one thing most improved your photography? Could be gear, technique, classes, experiences, etc.

I've only been shooting a couple years so I'm going to say that just the act of taking pictures for me has taught me to notice more and have a better eye for beauty and composition. Don't feel like at this point there is anything specific I can point to and say: "This made me a better photographer."
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 7:10:03 PM EDT
[#1]
Getting closer.
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 7:39:41 PM EDT
[#2]
overcast
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 8:19:00 PM EDT
[#3]
One of the things that motivated me to become better is messing around on here, flickr, etc and seeing pictures by people way better than me.

I've never really set out to copy a picture or someone's style or anything like that..but I'd see a picture that impressed me and say wow, I need to get better.

Experience is really the thing that drives improvement. Get out there and shoot. Find something that interests you, and get out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 8:24:05 PM EDT
[#4]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Getting closer.
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This.
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 8:31:35 PM EDT
[#5]
Shooting with a manual non-metering lens for a couple of months.
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 8:35:17 PM EDT
[#6]
Desire and interest to improve.
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 9:59:49 PM EDT
[#7]
Learning photography with an Agfa Solinette.  

That was my first camera.  My father got it when he was stationed in Germany, in the early 1950's.  He gave it to me when I was 13. It had a simple viewfinder (not a rangefinder), so you set the focus by "guesstimating" the distance to the subject. No light meter of course, so the exposure was determined by doing a quick sunny 16 calculation based on the film speed (ASA).  Then you would set the shutter speed and aperture, depending on your requirements (SS and DOF).  And finally, you had to cock the shutter before each shot.  

If you didn't understand photography, you would never get any pictures.
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 10:01:05 PM EDT
[#8]
1. Experience. No definitive point, but I started off with a Nikon FM and a 50mm lens and built up over 15 years.

2. Adobe lightroom. Easy, quick, and intuitive controls for post processing improved my processing time and also resulted in more consistent processing.
Link Posted: 6/20/2015 10:18:12 PM EDT
[#9]
Patience.

And shooting wide open.



Ray
Link Posted: 6/21/2015 1:20:38 AM EDT
[#10]
I started shooting this past August and have learned a TON since then.  



Since then my biggest improvements have come from...




-Ditching Jpeg for RAW.

-Getting a real editing program.

-Shooting in manual, and nothing else.

-Having others critique my work.

-Spending time with other talented photographers and bouncing ideas off of each other (I shoot with 10 or so different Atlanta photographers, I shoot with each of them atleast once a month and a few once a week at the least)




By far the biggest improvement came from shooting film.  I shoot on an F3 in Manual which does have a meter, but I was really forced to focus on the shot and take my time.  Before I started shooting film I would shooting SOOO many terrible pictures and then pick a couple good ones.  These days I find that the majority of my work ends up being "good" rather than a tenth of it. I think shooting film tremendously helped with this.
Link Posted: 6/21/2015 5:27:20 AM EDT
[#11]
understanding exposure, aperture, depth of field, how lighting affects photos,  etc...

still have a ways to go..

oh...better glass has helped also
Link Posted: 6/21/2015 9:49:31 AM EDT
[#12]
Not one thing, but a few things come to mind.  I start with being afield during the early and late light during the day when light and atmospheric conditions are best.  Sometimes the best landscape shots are taken before sunrise and after sunset when everyone else has left the area.  For lack of a better term, developing a critical eye.  Learning what constitutes a good composition through reading and actual practice.  Actual practice being trying many different points of view of a given subject and challenging myself to come up with new ways to see and shoot.   Depending on the subject, I'll try different f-stops to get different FOV when I'm not sure what will be best.  As loathe as I am to say it, becoming better at post processing.  I want it to look realistic, but most photos can benefit from judicious post processing.
Link Posted: 6/21/2015 2:59:03 PM EDT
[#13]
Taking a photography class at the community college is #1.

Getting better glass is #2.
Link Posted: 6/21/2015 3:33:31 PM EDT
[#14]
Learning the functions of a camera were great when I started out, but truly understanding light and shadow in all its aspects propelled me forward.

If I had to say a single piece of equipment changed my work, it's gotta be my tripod.  Not only did it allow for long exposures, double exposures, etc, but it forced me to slow down and actually look at what I'm shooting.  It's a PITA, but I still love it :)
Link Posted: 6/22/2015 11:22:40 AM EDT
[#15]
Get good at shooting Manual

Biggest step for me was getting comfortable shooting manual ( SS , Aperture , ISO )

Sure the understanding exposure books are good for a starting point but reality is you really need to shoot lots in manual and experiment to truly understand

Once you have a good understanding off how all three interrelate nothing wrong with shooting in A mode  ( where I shoot majority of the time )

More critically , make sure you still have some control over the ISO and SS even in A mode ( ie, make use of min shutter speed, max iso etc selection in the menus )  .  This is the most underutilized feature of some of the better cameras out there

Use and understand your exposure meter

For example : I have a friend that is truly gifted with the eye for photography and video and shoots with a pro 5DMkII .  I lent him a Hasselblad lens with Canon adapter for him to play with ( so everything is manual ...doesn't even step down automatically ! ) .  He struggled trying to get the exposure he wanted and asked me for help . I showed him in 5 sec since its pretty straight forward . He was bewildered and amazed there was an exposure meter in his viewfinder to help him with this. All good now but goes to show you can spend lots of time and take great pics but you simply don't understand exposure !

Further to that, with the exposure meter you can really see the difference when you change the metering mode on your camera form matrix ( evaluative for Canon )  / spot /  center weighted

Learn from others by working with them...not books !

Second thing is to hang out with people who have a different style and specialty . A friend is a great street photographer , but not so much with portraits or architectural ( which is where most of my focus is on ) . We have learned form each other

I learned far more about studio lighting hanging a couple days with a product photographer than I ever did from books or online tutorials

Prime Lens

Lastly, try shooting with a prime lens , but not because I think they are sharper ( don't really want to start a flame war but lots of pro zooms are just as sharp as lots of primes out there ) , but rather it forces you to recompose and rethink the framing of the shot

Worst thing with zoom is people zoom in or out but often to look critically at the framing ( rule of thirds etc ) . With a prime, you often need to walk back or forth and I find in doing so , I also take the time to frame better , rather than just banging away and cropping in post
Link Posted: 6/22/2015 6:26:11 PM EDT
[#16]

what helped me?


learning to use a fully manual camera while I was in high school.




me in 1980


CB (46) by Chris Barzyz, on Flickr


Now I own it again, my dad gave it to me a few months ago.


I'm now learning how to use a monobath developer..


monobath by Chris Barzyz, on Flickr




I love my T3i, but I luuuuv my SRT101





Link Posted: 6/22/2015 6:36:12 PM EDT
[#17]
Shooting weddings.
Link Posted: 6/22/2015 6:57:38 PM EDT
[#18]
Has to be the gear. Not a pro by any means but moving from a fuji s5000 to a d5200 made a dramatic difference. Wish i had more glass to play with
Link Posted: 6/22/2015 6:58:46 PM EDT
[#19]
L series glass from Canon
Link Posted: 6/24/2015 10:01:34 AM EDT
[#20]
Back Light.
Link Posted: 6/24/2015 3:28:10 PM EDT
[#21]
Visualizing the shot before I take it; no spray and pray.
What is my subject?
Where do I want the subject in the frame?
What is the lighting (amount, quality, color)?
Where do I want the shadows pointing?
What do I NOT want in the frame?
Depth of field: shallow vs medium vs deep?
Motion blur or frozen subject?
Link Posted: 6/25/2015 8:07:36 AM EDT
[#22]
For me it was talking with some "pros"

I use to be so stuck on capturing THE shot in just one or two takes. And would get frustrated when it wasn't completely sharp or something was slightly in or out of focus that I didn't want to be etc. Then talking to some pros seeing that even they don't get THE shot that quickly that some sessions they take hundreds or more shots and choose the best of the series.  Which also brings on post processing learning Photoshop and light room helped a ton for stacking images and merging two or more for different effects or for a good image. Not to say post processing can replace good shooting because it can't but it is a valuable tool to have.
Link Posted: 6/25/2015 3:16:39 PM EDT
[#23]
Purchase of my OM-1 in 1977. 100% manual. That and rolls and rolls of B&W. B&W is all about the light and the contrast between dark and light within the shot. Somewhere I have a box of pictures of breaking waves hitting the same rock. Hundreds of them. Different shutters speeds, f/stop, over and under exposed, pushed ISO. Learning to be patience and see the picture before looking through the camera was the next big thing.



I have my first DSLR. The editing tools are a whole new learning process.




Link Posted: 6/28/2015 5:51:46 PM EDT
[#24]
Experience.  Just getting out there and shooting.
Link Posted: 6/29/2015 6:48:50 PM EDT
[#25]
Time.

I thought I knew a thing or two about snapping photos before I went through the photo program at ArtCenter
I thought I knew a few extra things when I got out of ArtCenter
I thought I had a pretty good handle on things after assisting one of the top shooters in NY for a year.
-all of that was over 25 years ago and now I know it's a journey that is hopefully never complete.

Hopefully we all improve with time.  -and continue to do so.
Link Posted: 7/1/2015 3:34:53 AM EDT
[#26]
Using existing light as much as possible instead of flash. More use of tripod.
Link Posted: 7/1/2015 11:35:57 PM EDT
[#27]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Experience.  Just getting out there and shooting.
View Quote


+1 This
Link Posted: 7/2/2015 4:59:13 PM EDT
[#28]
The realization that any photos that I take I should work on the basics and that will help me over all.

When I first started, I thought the only way I could practice would be to photograph someone in some random pose in some interesting setting.  It wasn't until later I figured out that if I am walking around the house just photographing random items it still made me concentrate on the basics; focus, exposure, framing and thinking about the manual of arms for my camera.  

Practice makes better.
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