We are all leading busy lives. So, finding time to dedicate to our photography can be a real challenge. But if we have any hope of improving our skills as a photographer, we need time and a reason to practice. Photographers get better by making photographs, over and over again. Most of them don’t have to be stellar images. What’s important is that the practices of seeing, composing and editing our images help us to develop important skills. Don’t wait for that vacation or a workshop you’ve scheduled for this summer. Try some of these simple and straight-forward suggestions today.
You might think that making the casual snapshot or candid photograph might not lead you to become a better photographer. You thought wrong. Practice is practice and even the process of making candid frame photographs can help develop your eye for lighting, composition and much more. Here are a few ways that candid photography can help your development as a photographer.
Dear Charlie,
You’ve asked me in evaluating your work to be brutally honest. Admittedly, it’s something that other photographers have asked for, but I’ve always been reticent about honestly fulfilling such a request. I have often perceived it as the equivalent of a wife or girlfriend asking, “Do I look fat in this?” A frank, honest answer to that question is likely not going to end well.
However, you have been insistent about receiving such concise, unrestrained and to-the-point-feedback. So, I feel inspired to share with you why your pictures suck.
Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on the Candid Frame blog. We encourage you to listen to the podcast on iTunes.