Hey all!

Welcome to the first tech tip Tuesday.

Let’s talk about the the most proven and effective way to get better at photography.

This one is pretty straight forward.

The photography equipment industry, influencers, and youtube university are all competing for your hard earned dollars. They want to sell you their latest camera, lenses, products, and services. Countless features, tips, tricks, techniques, software programs, and tutorials. There are as many talented people out there who are experts as there are great cameras. I, myself, have gone down the rabbit hole looking to deepen and my knowledge and have come out with some new tricks up my sleeve as well as tools in my tool kit. I’m not trying to knock people sharing their knowledge while making a living. Get after it. I simply want to offer one suggestion that requires nothing more than a camera. Any camera.

The simple truth is this: there is no magic trick or shortcut to take better photographs. Every program I’ve taken and every photographer I’ve ever worked for, will tell you the same thing: there isn’t a lighting tutorial, composition technique, Lightroom Preset package, filter, piece of equipment, camera, lens, or color grading how-to that can improve your photography faster than this.

Simply put, If you want to take better photos, you have to shoot more. Shoot everyday.

Make mistakes. Be okay with failures and bad photographs. Experiment with the different modes on your camera. Shoot through things. Change perspectives. Climb on stuff. Laydown. Use crappy or broken lenses. Use available light, or in the words of W. Eugene Smith (famous photographer & megalomaniac) “Available light means any damn light available!” Always remember to play.

Michael Bretz Photography

The Light Table

Posts tagged with self-taught

Tech Tip Tuesday #1