HOW TO BECOME A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER.

What is the mean to become a better photographer, how does one actually become a better photographer? Some thoughts:

1. Less fear and hesitation

In the new Dune movie, the quote — fear is the ultimate mind killer.

Perhaps in photography, we should think, fear is the ultimate photo killer.

The less fearful we become as photographers, the better photographers we become.

Even in Street Photography, the number one attribute we need is fearlessness.

2. Open your eyes

The more you could open up your eyes, the better. This is of course metaphorically speaking — to open your eyes to new photographic opportunities, and to see beyond genres.

3. Actively study cinema composition

I think that cinematographers tend to compose in frames better than photographers. Why? Because they have all the Time in the world. and as a consequence, perhaps it is better for us photographers to study cinematography then to just study traditional photos.

4. Study your own compositions

Your own photos are the most important. The goal isn’t to emulate any other photographer, but instead to seek your own personal maximum in your own photography. Thus it is very wise that as a post Mortem composition, Study your past compositions and figure out how they worked or how they didn’t work.

5. The rolling stone gathers no moss

If you just keep shooting and moving forward, you won’t grow stale.

6. Spend as much time outdoors as humanly possible

I find a very simple way to improve your photography is to just spend as much time outdoors as humanly possible. Because as you walk around, you will see more photographic opportunities than inside your own home. You could literally just be walking around your neighborhood or your own personal block, or to harness the boredom of your own neighborhood. You could even make good photos in the suburbs.

7. Harness the power of bad weather

Funny enough, the best photos happen in areas with bad weather. For example, some of my best photos were when it was snowing in Providence Rhode Island. And even now living in the Orange County suburbs, I walk around with the umbrella during the day to protect me from the heat.

Even when I was in Seattle and it was raining like a motherfucker, some of the best photos happened during that time in one of my workshops.

Even when traveling in Japan, some of my best street photos happened when it was raining in Tokyo.

So when it is raining or snowing, grab a good jacket and an umbrella and go out and shoot.