1. Shoot moreI mentioned this in a previous post, but it can’t be emphasized enough. You can watch Beyonce on Youtube all you want, but that won’t make you a singer (a good one anyways). Photography is a skill, just like reading, writing and math. Every single time you pick up your camera, you are familiarizing yourself with a tool and getting better. Good photographers are not made overnight. 2. Collaborate with other artistsImmerse yourself in an environment with people who want to succeed and want to see YOU to succeed. When everyone else around you is driven and grinding towards a similar goal, it’s hard not to let that rub off on you. 3. Start noticing things that others don’tPhotography i not only an art form but a way of communication between the world in your eyes and everyone else. Great photographers are able to show and teach the world something they never thought of before, which is what makes them so remarkable. 4. Shoot what you normally don’tGrowth happens outside of your comfort zone. You might notice a stagnant in your growth as a photographer if you keep shooting the same things all the time (I am guilty of this constantly). If you’re normally a portrait person, maybe try your hand at street photography. Your first few photos might be pretty rough, and even if you don’t end up mastering that style, you are able to unconsciously take things you learned and use it to develop your own style. 5. Play with different techniquesLong exposure, high speed action, macro, profile, conceptual - that’s just to name a few. Focusing on learning individual techniques expands your creative range and allows you to create more unique works. 6. Master basic composition rulesNothing annoying me as a fellow photographer more than seeing a beautiful photo that is ruined by a crooked horizon line, out of focus subject or leading lines leading to nothing. Of course, given it was not done purposefully. These are the bare bones of a good photograph and should be mastered before trying more advanced techniques. Obviously, there are exceptions, but getting the basics down helps you create a foundation to build on top of, and gives you a better idea of when it actually is appropriate to break the rules. 7. The internet is your classroomNowadays, "not having the resources" is no excuse. Majority of the world's top fashion, wedding and commercial photographers never even had formal training! Everything/anything you want to learn is right at your fingertips. In order to save time, I create a playlist of YouTube tutorials I want to watch at the beginning of the week and play them when I'm cooking, getting ready or doing homework (which I don't really recommend). Some of my personal favourites are: Jessica Kobeissi Mango Street COOPH The Art of Photography Peter McKinnon The Creator Class 8. Start with what you haveToo many people hold off on learning photography because they don't think they have the right gear. I was blessed enough to have gotten my hands on a Canon 70D as my first camera as a gift, but kept it on auto mode for years and never got anywhere with improving my work. Your gear should help your vision, not the other way around. Owning a Canon 5D Mark IV as your first camera is not going to skyrocket your career as a photographer. Borrowing from friends and renting from camera stores or schools are a better option to start off with before you splurge thousands of dollars. 9. Create opportunities for yourselfNobody is going to hand it to you. Make yourself vulnerable and reach out to other people you want to work with. Be ambitious, you never know what opportunities you get until you ask. Read about my experience getting started in concert photography here. 10. Shoot manual (bonus: on a prime lens)The initial switch from auto to manual can be a scary bridge to cross at first. With fancy features such as zoom and auto focus, it's easy to just let the camera do the work. Shooting on manual, even better on a prime lens, teaches you how to do the grunt work of physically moving closer to the subject, adjusting your depth of field and choosing what you want to focus on. This will give you much more creative liberty later on as your skills progress..
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By Wendy Wei Digital cameras seem to be all the fad these days - with the media hype up of new releases such as the Sony A9 mirrorless full frame camera and the Canon 5D Mark IV. I admit I'm not completely innocent myself - often getting caught up browsing the web for hours looking for the next thousand dollar lens to add to my collection. Although there is no denial that owning a shiny new gadget with a price tag of a few good pay checks will certainly help you get a leg up technically by a adding a few megapixels, higher shutter speed and light sensitivity (also known as ISO), I still proudly stand behind the statement that it's not about the camera, but about the photographer behind it. Just like how owning a paintbrush doesn't make you Van Gogh, there is more to photography than just the tool that is used. A camera is just another vehicle for the person operating it to capture whatever beauty it is that they see in front of them however they feel is relevant. Often forgotten is the fact that some of the best photographers in the world shoot with some of the most odd cameras. Ren Hang for example, shot on the Minolta X-700. World renowned fashion photographer Annie Leibovitz' favourite camera was the Fujifilm X100. A few months ago, I was able to get my hands on the Yashica Electro 35 rangefinder. Although my 6D will always have my hear, here are some reasons why I think everyone should still shoot with a 35mm film camera if they can: 1. It builds up your fundamental skills Getting started with a digital camera can be intimidating with so many buttons and settings to choose from. Oftentimes those who start off digital cheat their way into the craft and never really end up building the basic composition and lighting techniques in the first place with the help of Auto mode. Stripping away the fancy features on my aperture Yashica allowed me to really focus on creating an imagine rather than just pressing a button. 2. It makes you think After the initial investment of a digital camera, there is basically no other costs associated to get you started taking photos. Because of this, it is easy to get into the habit of just pushing a shutter and hoping for the best without really thinking of your shot. Hey, it's not costing you anything right? You can always delete it after! With only 24 exposures per roll, each roll costing about $6 not to mention developing costs, film can get really expensive really fast. The up side of this is that being aware of the cost forces you to really think and carefully compose each and every shot to make sure nothing goest to waste. 3. The anticipation of waiting to see your shots Without an auto preview feature, it takes an average of 2-3 weeks for me to finish off a roll of film (given that it's not for a project and just casual use). By the time I manage to submit my finished roll to the camera store and have them develop it, I usually don't see the photos I took until a month later. I can't explain the excitement that comes with finally picking up your prints from the store and rushing to the nearest coffee shop to open it up. The more I shoot with my 35mm, the more I learn to appreciate the art and timelessness of the camera and the works I can create with it. Here are some samples of my latest roll of film: Let's get in touch!Instagram: @wendyhwei (personal)
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