Dear friend,

A philosophical question: why take “better” photos?

Okay, so as photographers, I think all of us generally strive to make “better” photos. But what does that really mean, and why strive towards making better photos anyways?

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First question, what is a “better” photo?

I generally think this:

We can compare several photographs of a certain scene, and ultimately choose 1 photo we prefer, or consider the “best” in the scene.

Or, we can think about contributing photographs towards our portfolio, or for a certain photography project. Then we will want to create “better” photos by replacing our older “worse” photos, with newer photos which we consider “better”.

A better photograph can mean:

1. More dynamic composition (a photograph with more visual force, which creates a visual impact that punches us in the gut, or is more interesting for us to look at).
2. A better photograph can be more simple, with fewer distractions in the background or edges of the frame.
3. A better photograph can have stronger “figure to ground” or contrast/separation between the subject and background.
4. A better photograph can also mean a photograph that was more difficult or challenging for us to shoot, therefore we gain more satisfaction from admiring our own photo.
5. A better photograph can mean that the photograph is more personally meaningful to us, thus we judge it as “better”.

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Don’t compare your photos with the photos of others

I generally feel with the pursuit of making better photos a good idea, as long as we are competing with our past self, and seeking to improve our own photos. We should not seek to become “better” photographers by comparing ourselves with other photographers. Why? Because if we try to compare our photos with the photographs from other photographers, then the photographs will not reflect our own artistic vision and personal photographic style (which is very important).

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My personal formula for making better photos

I know for myself as a photographer, I seek to make better photographs by always challenging myself to shoot more challenging photographs, and by also seeking to have more fun in my photography.

That means this:

1. Shooting more frequently, because the more frequently I shoot, the stronger I develop my visual eye. It’s like doing squats or deadlifts for your eyes. You want to strengthen your eyes, and you can only strengthen your eyes by challenging/stressing/training your eyes.
2. Training your visual perception: Do this by studying all visual arts like three-dimensional art (sculpture, architecture, and interior design). Study the color combinations, palette and composition of paintings. Study master photographers from the past to find inspiration from them.
3. Seek to be more bold in my street photography: Getting closer to my subjects, hesitating less, making more dynamic compositions by getting low, and by capturing more emotional facial expressions or more engaging hand gestures.

No disappointment

The big thing to stay motivated in your photography is to not allow yourself to get disappointed if you feel like your progress in photography isn’t happening quick enough.

Making good photos takes time. If you shoot frequently (preferably everyday), and keep talking risks in your photography, of course sooner or later you will make some good shots that will be better than the ones you shot in the past.

Three steps to make better photos

This is the formula to making better photos:

1. Shoot more frequently
2. Shoot more challenging compositions, and shoot in more difficult situations
3. Stay persistent and you will (eventually) get better photos!

Stay persistent with your shooting, be patient, but hustle hard. The harder you hustle, the more likely you are to succeed getting some new and better photos!

JUST SHOOT IT.
ERIC