photography, Street Photography
The FASTEST way to MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY!
Are you tired of fumbling around with your camera settings, unsure of how to capture the perfect shot? Do you dream of taking stunning photographs but feel overwhelmed by the technicalities of photography? Look no further! In this blog, we will unveil the fastest way to master photography and unleash your creative potential. Whether you’re a beginner eager to learn the basics or an experienced photographer seeking to elevate your skills, our tried and tested solution will provide you with the essential tools and techniques to accelerate your learning process. Get ready to take your photography to new heights and capture the world in all its glory!
The FASTEST way to MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY!
Hello everybody and welcome to a video sponsored by lumix. Now, if you’re watching this video in the first off month or so after it’s gone live, then the chances are I’m somewhere in the world, not in the UK, shooting right this second with a lumix camera trying to improve my photography. I’m making a video about it. In this video, like most of them, is about trying to improve your photography. Sadly, this one is gonna have to wait a minute because I need this piece of paper to help with this video and unfortunately, I was born Left-handed or in other words unable to use scissors and I have to go ask a neighbor. Anyway, in this video, a few years ago, I read a book called outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and in that book, he talks about this concept of 10,000 hours to mastery, how it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill and it’s become quite a popular theory. There are also quite a few people who dispute it, people who think that natural talent is a thing that comes into play, people who think that it’s the quality of practice that matters not just the quantity, and people that think that you just actually don’t need that much time to master a lot of skills.
Now, I’m a big believer in the concept of practice. In fact, another book that I read a few years ago was a book called bounce by guy called Matthew Sayid, a former table tennis player, a professional table tennis player, and now a writer and journalist. In that book, he argues that he doesn’t believe that natural talent as a concept exists. He thinks that success in many fields is down to opportunity and practice. And in that book, he talks about how child prodigies very rarely have unusual genes or unusual genetics. Typically though, they have very unusual upbringing and at the heart of those unusual upbringing is practice, hours and hours and hours of practice.
So, for this video, I’ve decided to take that theory and try and work out how you should spend 10,000 hours on photography in order to improve your photography the most. And in fact, it doesn’t have to be 10,000 hours, that’s a lot of ours. But I’ve tried to break it down in a way that regardless of how much time you have, basically tried to think about what you should spend that time on in order to improve your photography. That’s this video. Yeah, finish my cuttings eventually. Also, the concept of 10,000 hours is quite a solid high, so it’s a big number and it’s difficult to quantify what that looks like. So basically, 10,000 hours is 20 hours a week for 10 years or 40 hours a week for five years. So a full-time job for five years, basically a long time. And I don’t come from this from the top of the mountain. I don’t consider myself a master of photography. Obviously, I’m not us 10,000 hours is a long time. And even though I’m a full-time photographer, not all of my time is spent doing photography, but most of my time is spent doing business things, and invoices and plans and contracts and emails and all that kind of stuff. So, I’m somewhere on the mountain to mastery. Hopefully, I’m headed in the right direction. But I don’t want this to come across as like a blueprint to mastery because ultimately, I don’t know myself, this is just my opinion on what I think you should aim for in terms of getting to mastery. And be interesting to your thoughts in the comments below.
Genre Exploration
So, I basically can’t some things that’ll make up a pie chart or pizza chart. And the first thing is genre exploration. But overhead shot is obviously, I’m not doing that now, I’ll I’ll do that after. Genre exploration is something that I’ve put about 10% of importance off of the whole pie. So, about a thousand hours. And what is basically, I don’t think there is such a thing as being a master of photography. Typically, the most established, well-known photographers are not well-known just as photographers. They’re very, very good at photographing specific things. So that might be surf, mountains, people, buildings, war, could be all kinds of things. But they’re known for photographing a particular kind of thing. And that’s because you need to become acquainted and comfortable in a particular environment before you can really hope to start taking good photos of it. So spending time in lots of different environments and situations will hopefully help give you a hand on what kind of thing you would like to take photos of. Because in my experience, when you start out photography, you kind of inclined to just take photos of everything because the process of taking photos itself is enjoyable. But as time goes on from the perspective of me and other people that I’ve spoken to about this, you start noticing that your photography begins to be led by other interests. And you start taking photos of other interests that you have. And in some ways, the quicker you can pin down what that interest that you want to photograph is, the quicker you’ll get to a point where you’re taking incredible photos of that subject. It doesn’t mean it can’t be changed, and that’s exactly why the so much time built in for exploration of that field because yeah, it might change, but honing in on what that might be is a crucial part of getting to a point where you start taking really incredible photos.
Learning Your Chosen Genre
Next slice is pretty self-explanatory really, to be honest, learning that chosen genre. So, for example, you spent a thousand hours or 10% of your photography time trying to get to the bottom of what interests you and what field you’d like to spend more time in. And at that point, you need to learn it. So if you’re a documentary photographer, then you’re going to need to build contacts and journalistic skills in whatever area it is that you want to go into. If you want to be a surf photographer, then you obviously need to get acquainted with the surf. You need to build a network of surfers who you’re happy to go and shoot with. You need to be comfortable and proficient in the water and ultimately, you need to get to grips with how to shoot in the water. Same in the mountains, you need to get good at reading maps, terrain, weather, all the skills that you might need in mountains or difficult situations to take great photos in the mountains. If you want to take photos of people, then obviously, you’ve got to develop natural rapport with people. That’s a skill. All these things take time, and learning how to operate in your genre is, again, a huge piece of the puzzle.
Studying Theory
Again, 10%, or 750 hours, which is 7.5% of the pie, is studying theory. Now, personally, I hate that things like the rule of thirds is called a rule because I think it sends out the wrong message. Photography is an art. There are no rules. It’s all down to personal preferences. The fact is, though, that the human eye sees things a certain way, and it sees some things better than others. That’s biological. It’s factual. And if you can learn those things, then you stand a much better chance of your photo standing out than if you ignore them. I don’t like the fact that they’re called rules, but it does make sense that they are called rules because we don’t have a say in how we see things.
Studying Others
Another 750 hours, or 7.5%, is studying others. So, looking at other people’s work for inspiration and applying what you’ve learned in the theory to work out why certain photos stand out. This is an opportunity to expand your creative mindset and learn from others in the field.
This article continues with the remaining sections…
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I quickly improve my photography skills?
Answer: There are several ways to accelerate your photography learning process:
- Invest in a good DSLR camera and learn its features
- Take a photography course or join a workshop
- Practice shooting in different scenarios and lighting conditions
- Experiment with composition techniques and angles
- Seek constructive feedback from experienced photographers
- Study the works of renowned photographers and learn from their styles
2. Can I become a master photographer without formal education?
Answer: Absolutely! While formal education can provide a structured learning environment, becoming a master photographer is achievable through self-study and hands-on experience. Numerous successful photographers are self-taught or have learned through online resources, books, and mentorships. Dedication, practice, and a passion for capturing moments are key factors in mastering photography, regardless of formal education.
3. How important is post-processing in photography?
Answer: Post-processing plays a significant role in the final look of a photograph. While capturing the perfect shot is crucial, post-processing techniques help enhance and refine the image further. Editing software such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop allows photographers to adjust exposure, colors, contrast, sharpness, and remove unwanted elements. Learning post-processing techniques can greatly enhance your photos and bring your vision to life.
4. Are there any recommended photography communities or forums?
Answer: Yes, there are several online photography communities and forums where photographers can interact, learn, and seek advice from fellow enthusiasts or professionals. Some popular options include:
- WordPress Photography Forums
- DPReview Forums
- Photography Stack Exchange
- Nikonians Community
- Canon Community Forum
Participating in these communities can provide invaluable insights, tips, and feedback to help you fast-track your photography skills.
5. Can you recommend any photography books for beginners?
Answer: Certainly! Here are a few highly recommended books for beginners:
- “Understanding Exposure” by Bryan Peterson – This book covers the fundamentals of exposure, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to help beginners grasp the essentials of photography.
- “The Digital Photography Book” series by Scott Kelby – Scott Kelby shares practical tips, techniques, and insights for photographers at various skill levels in this series.
- “Photography: The Definitive Visual History” by Tom Ang – This book provides a comprehensive overview of photography, its evolution, famous photographers, and iconic images, making it an excellent resource for building a strong foundation in the art.
We hope these FAQ answers help you on your journey to master photography! If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us.
I hope you find useful my article The FASTEST way to MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY!, I also recommend you to read my other posts in my blog at this link.
If you need help with anything join the community or do not hesitate to contact me.
Best of luck! and follow your passion.
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