5 tips for improving your photography

Perhaps everyone who takes photos wants their images to be better and better. And because almost everyone, especially in the beginning, makes mistakes, I come to your aid with these fundamental and very important tips on how to achieve this.

1) Have a vision about what image you want to create

Before you go to take a picture, think about what you want to create and what result you want to achieve. A good photo is usually not a coincidence, so have an idea of what you would like to create and what the result should look like. There is nothing wrong with taking photos of flowers, dogs or cats, but if you have no idea about your photo, it will be just another of the inexhaustible number of identical-looking photos containing a flower, dog or cat. If you think about your photo, there is a good chance that it will stand out among others.

Without a vision, I would never have created this image … and of course it was preceded by thorough planning and then waiting for the right conditions.

2) Have a plan for where and how you want to take this photo

You already know what you would like to photograph and what the result should look like… great. Now get an idea of where and how you would like to do so. For example, do you want to take pictures of your dog in a meadow, in the city, by the water? And at what time of day? Soft light plays a big role in landscape photography, which means that the best time is a golden hour during sunrise or sunset. If it’s important for you when taking photos of the dog, plan it that way. Should there be fog when photographing your pond? If so, follow the weather forecast and choose a day that looks promising. If you have other ideas, consider them in your planning.

3) Choose a place that fits into your plan

You have a vision, a plan and now is the time to find a suitable place that fits into your plan. The basic mistake in creative photography is when we adapt the composition to the given place. It should always be the other way around, we are looking for the place that best suits our idea of the composition. Minor adjustments are fine, but if, for example, at a waterfall, in a given place, I do not find a suitable foreground, I look further until I find it. And if I can’t find it, I just don’t take pictures in that place… it’s that simple :-). The resulting photo doesn’t accept my excuses that I couldn’t take a step to the right at the given place :-).

4) Prepare well before you carry out your plan

You have a place that is close to your idea of composition… great. Now explore it properly and find out at what time and from where the light will come, whether, for example, the sun will be visible in the place where you want it, whether the light will hit your foreground as you wish and so on. For this purpose, I highly recommend using the Photo Pills application, which is really priceless and will save you a great amount of time and nerves :-). With it, you can plan your photo and not only on a location to absolute perfection.

5) Jump into the action and carry out your plan

Whenever the right conditions are in place to carry out your plan, never hesitate to jump right into the action. And this is especially true for landscape photography, where the conditions are unrepeatable and the torn hair, from the fact that you didn’t go, aren’t really worth it :-). On the other hand, don’t be disappointed that it didn’t work out on the first or second attempt, be persistent, be patient and you won’t miss the success. Most of my photos were created by regularly visiting the place and waiting for the right conditions. Keep in mind that good things come to those who wait…

[Bonus] Enjoy your photography and don’t be afraid to break the rules

First and foremost, photography and the activities associated with it should make you happy. When planning a photo, I always look forward to what the result will look like, which makes this activity fun for me. The photo itself is the icing on the cake, but even if the plan doesn’t work at all, I can be glad that I was able to be outside and enjoy the day. In conclusion, I would like to mention, do not be afraid to break the rules, not even the above :-). A good photo is often created by breaking the rules, whether those about the composition or the ones I mentioned. In any case, mainly in landscape photography good preparation and patience is the key.

I really enjoyed this shot, even though I had about ten attempts and I still imagined better conditions :-).

I hope these tips help you think more about photography and create your dream photo. On the other hand, planning should not become an unpleasant necessity. Have fun both with the preparation of the photo and its realization. Wish you the best light, my friends.