One Year of Photography

Exactly one year ago, I was lying in my bed scrolling through instagram believing I could take better pictures than half of the people on the app. One year later, I am a lot less presumptuous.   

While I’m still in the beginning stages of the journey, I have learned a lot and shot enough to have a general grasp of what is required in this field. I still have lots of room to improve, but these are some lessons I have taken away.  

Biggest lessons:

• No cares about your photos.

Photography is very saturated field because of low barrier to entry. Everyone has his/her own style of photography and opinion about what constitute as a good photo. Despite these statements, you should keep on shooting, find an audience who do like your work, or just shoot for yourself.

• Dissect another photographer’s work

It’s very easy to lose track in your own work and edits, but the fastest way to improve your skills is to analyze a better photographer’s work and edits. Study from the best to surpass the best.

• Review old work and edits

If you look at your old work and don’t find it repulsive and ugly, you have plateau and your skills have not improved a lot. 

Cringe (one of my earliest shot)

In the upcoming year, I plan to: 

• Get physical prints

Not to start a gallery or anything, but to improve my eye for composition and color. This guy explains it better.  

• Get a telephoto lens
  

I spent my first year in photography in the super wide to standard focal lengths. It’s time to go in real close. Been looking to purchase to an 85mm to 200mm, been eyeing the Sigma Art 135mm real bad.

• Learn Adobe PS

Been using mostly Capture One Pro for edits, and while Capture One Pro is a powerful raw editor it is time to take it to next level in photo editing.