When you are learning photography, it seems natural to pay more attention to composition and techniques that you can use to create better photos, but it is not only this that helps you to be a better photographer.
A lot of advice is very valid, like taking pictures every day, or taking your camera everywhere, or interpreting your weaknesses and trying to improve them.
Of course, none of this replaces being in the right place at the right time to do a good job.
Many habits are set aside and some of them can simply help you become a better photographer.
5 Habits that will help you be a better photographer
1 – Search for locations
Before starting your photo shoot, doing a little research can help you get images that you never imagined.
With a little planning you can save a lot of time walking around and go practically straight to the point. Many tools can help you a lot in this, search for locations, parks and the like.
Create a Pinterest account and collect places where you would like to photograph, or have already photographed. Research in your region what other photographers are doing, where they are taking photos from.
Once you have a good idea of what can be done, think about how you would do it, what you like. Take note of things with light, which lens to use, if you need to look for a different perspective for a particular photo, things like this are always useful.
In certain situations Google Maps can be your big brother, search for new locations using it. Find out if a certain location is far from the road, or public transport, how long you will have to walk to reach the place, things like that.
2 – Stay tuned for the weather
If you shoot landscapes , or nature in general. Staying in the mood can help you become a better photographer. Carefully observing the weather situation on the day you plan to photograph will help you understand what kind of natural light you will have available.
Some situations can look horrible, but don’t forget that in some storms, rainbows and lightning can appear and can be great for photographing.
If you are going to shoot around the city, the weather can also help you achieve the necessary “mood” in your photo. Never forget that natural light is determined by the climate, amount of clouds and locations on the planet where you are photographing.
3 – Less is more
There is always a maxim of less is more, and this is also true for photography.
Imagine you walk 8 or 10 kilometers with a backpack with more than 15 kilos of equipment. This is sure to make you tired faster and lazy to go further. at least it happens to me, and you will probably miss some good photos.
So carrying less equipment can help you go further, and have a better chance of coming home with more cool pictures. Today we have more options and you can choose to have a lighter system using mirrorless cameras, this will help to reduce the weight you carry on your back.
If you know you’re not going to use a lens, don’t take it, it’s that simple. By doing this, you have the obligation to think more to get great photos with little equipment.
4 – Comfort is not luxury
This applies not only to the equipment you will be bringing but also your clothes and other things.
If you know that the place you are going to is very cold, why not take a shirt. Or if there is a possibility of rain, taking something that protects you can be of good use.
So thinking don’t leave comfort aside just to not carry extra weight. The same goes for some lens or other equipment, if you feel more comfortable using a certain lens, take it!
5 – In the bush? GPS.
If you are a trailblazing type, and like to go on trails and woods that are not very populated, this is almost a rule. Try to have a good GPS available in situations of this type, after all getting lost in the middle of nowhere is not cool.
Mark an entry point, where you can easily find your way back home safe and start walking from it. Using a GPS you will feel more confident and comfortable and it will definitely take you to places that nobody has been photographing before. Do not rely entirely on the GPS of your cell phone, use a dedicated device for work.
Well today is it, if you have any more tips to be a better photographer leave it there in the comments!