1) Get
the right rig that suits your
preferences
There's no use in buying a very expensive,
top-of-the-line camera if you're not
going to use each and every function of
it, right? Choose a camera that
suits your tastes, and suits the
intention you're buying it for. If
you can buy a cam at a discount
somewhere, so be it! Yes, a lot of
papers and websites may present positive
reviews about a newly-released camera,
but most of it's just PR. Get a
try of the camera first before you
decide to buy it, so that you're sure
that it's really what you want.
2) Get to know
your camera
The next thing to do after you've bought the perfect
rig for you is to get to know it better.
Acquaint yourself with it. Take
some sample shots, vanity shots,
landscape shots, if you wish. Read
the User's Manual for this'll be really
helpful in the future (I know it's
boring and you only consult it when your
cam's in trouble, but better start
reading now if you want to maximize your
cam's capabilities!) Remember that
in photography there are no limits in
imagination but there are, however,
limits to your camera's functions, so
get to know them first before you set
out into the wild!
3) Bring your
camera everywhere you go
Missed that great scenery while you
were onboard the train? Failed
to capture that hearty laugh of the
child next to you in the fastfood
chain? That's because you
don't have a camera with you that
you can whip up in a jiffy.
You bought that camera for a
purpose, so use it whenever you can!
Bring it wherever you go!
Shoot even the most mundane of
things, you never know, something
interesting may be hiding beneath
the monotony of things.
4) SHOOT, SHOOT,
SHOOT!
Someone said that the best way to achieve something is
to practice, practice, practice!
To become a top-notch photographer,
shoot, shoot, shoot! Shoot
whatever you can shoot. Your
half-empty (or is it half-full?)
glass of water, the insect lurking
under your bed, your mom's funny
antics, the blue sky, the moving
train, the bright moon, anything!
The world is full of limitless
possibilities for you to capture, so
train yourself to always shoot
something whenever you can.
This is a great way for you to track
your improvements, so be sure to
keep a stash of memory cards in tow.
5) Don't be shy,
don't hesitate
If you're going to be afraid to lie down on your
stomach just to get that great
low-angle shot of a towering tree,
then you just missed the whole point
of photography. A good photo
brings the viewer to a whole new
perspective of things, a different
way of looking at the world.
So don't be afraid to stand on a
chair or lie down on your back just
to get a good angle. Don't be
afraid to ask your models to pose or
to wait for that perfect moment when
your subject does something
interesting. When you
hesitate, you let that opportunity
go which may never come back, so go
shoot at it while you can!
6) It's not
always the camera; most of the time,
it's the Photographer
There's an age-old myth which says that good photos
come from great cameras. But
that's been debunked a long time
ago. Because in this day and
age of digital technology, just
about anyone can achieve stunning
results even without the use of a
very high-end camera. Most of
the time, it's not your equipment
that matters. It's your eye
for photography that makes every
shot a great shot.
7) Choose a role
model and view their photos
To be able to appreciate the horizon, you must step
back and see the wide horizontal
painting of nature. Even if
you're getting pretty good with
photography, don't be afraid to
learn and re-learn new stuff from
people who have come before you.
Pick a certain photographer whose
style you admire, and try to emulate
him. But more than that, try
to surpass whatever he's done.
Expose yourself to his works to get
inspiration. But don't forget
to view other photographers' works
as well. If you surround
yourself with good photographs every
time, you'll be just as inspired to
snag that shot which other people
can, in turn, admire.
