Nature Photography Photo Workshop

10.2. HONING YOUR TECHNICAL SKILLS

There's no substitute for experience. You can think about photography all day, but unless you're out there making pictures, processing them, and evaluating the results you won't see as much progress as you could. Get out into the landscape and do it!

Honing your technical skills gives you more creative freedom. You can practice your craft by following a consistent set of procedures when shooting, taking some classes and workshops, and learning to properly critique photographs made both by yourself and others.

10.2.1. PRACTICING YOUR CRAFT

When you go out into the natural world, whether or not you're making photographs, you should immerse yourself into the experience. Keep practicing previsualizing the images you want to make, and learn what it takes to make those images.

For every successful image you make, there will be many more that fail. A ratio of 100:1 is common — for every hundred pictures you make there may be one that survives a tough edit. In producing a strong body of work, you make many images that other people will never see. After some time you will become more productive, but you simply can't expect every photo you make to be a winner.

10.2.2. GETTING FORMAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

For most nature photographers some formal study is beneficial. Though it's certainly possible to figure out everything yourself, you'll do well to learn from other photographers who have trod a similar path. If nothing else, learning from other people's ...