1. Shoot everyday. It can be your phone, film, digital, doesn’t matter. Everyday take some pictures where you focus on the photographic elements; not just a shot of something to feel like you’ve taken a picture.
2. Get to know photography basics. Rule of thirds. Composition. Eye line. Depth of Field. Knowing these “rules” that way you ca use them to your advantage, or break them to your advantage. Knowing the basics is just teaching your body proper form like a trainer in a gym would do.
3. Takes notes on what you like. Start a Evernote, or get a note book, or use your notes app and start saving photos you like. Write in there why you like them and try to figure out how they did what you like. I live and breathe by Evernote. Every time I see a photo I like I add it to Evernote, theres a web clip app for you computer and in iPhones you can clip images using the sharing menu, and I put in a note why I like it. Then when Im trying to come up with shoot ideas I go through my Evernote and all the images I like and find inspiration to create new things. But without capturing the things that inspire you, and learning what you like about them, your taste won’t grow. Its like trying new food and then trying to understand what ingredients in it stimulate your pallet.
4. Go out! Photography is for adventuring. Research cool places by you to photograph and go explore them. Bring your friends. Have a “photo adventure day,” as cheese as that sounds I still do that with my friends. Don’t get lost in posting right away, wait until the end of the day and then you guys can all get together and edit, post and talk about the photos.
5. Have fun with it. The great thing about the art of photography is its a social art where your job is the capture the feeling of the moment. You can only do that if YOU are having fun.
Derek Woods Photography 