7 pieces of advice to become a better landscape photographer
7 pieces of advice
To become a better landscape photographer
Two of the most talented artists in social media, Elisabetta Fox and Niklas Söderlund, shared with us 7 pieces of advice to become a better landscape photographer. We asked them the following question: “Imagine yourself at the beginning of your professional career as a photographer. What pieces of advice would you give to yourself?”
And this was their feedback!
1. Patience
I have that word even tattooed on my back. I think we live in a society where “the moment” is underrated.
We are always living in the past or in the future but never in the present. We are always so worried about what we could have done better or what we are going to do without worrying about what we can do now. When it comes down to photography, I always see a lot of hurry when wanting to grow and becoming good quickly without thinking about quality. Skills such as photography require time and patience.
2. Listen
Your numbers don’t signify how much you know. Never assume you know more than someone else. Always be open to listen other people’s opinions. For example, my greatest critic is my mother. She does not know a single thing about photography but sometimes that’s even better. It allows me to learn from a different perspective and get out of own mindset as a photographer.
3. Learn to use what you have
I feel like this one of the most common mistakes. People always look at what other photographers have and what they shoot on, as if their camera had some sort of magic incorporated that would take the shot for them. Learn to take the most out of your potential while leveraging the tools that you have at the moment. I remember when I first started, I wanted to buy a specific kind of gear just because a certain photographer had it. However, later on I then realized that I could work my way around it and save up for something more suitable for my needs and skills.
4. Open your eyes, not your phone / create not re-create
When surrounded by so many visual platforms, it’s easy to fall within the “mainstream” category.
People going to the same places over and over again taking the same exact photo or trying to recreate someone else’s shot. Train your eyes to always look for a different perspective. Try going to places nearby your house multiple times and take the same shot but from a different perspective. Play around with the framing, time of the year, elements… Don’t re-create but create. Always.
5. Train your eye
I think that it is really important to look at what other photographers are doing. It is important to train your eye and get to know what works and what does not work when it comes to presenting your visual story.
Try to answer the following questions while looking at the photos:
Where are they taking the photos?
What kind of light are they using to convey the story?
Under what weather conditions are they shooting the most?
What subjects are they including in their stories?
In the end you want to understand what makes their photos better or special from the rest. It is like finding the uniqueness that every photographer brings so you can eventually try to recreate the same visual story. You want to find the formula that they are using. Once you got that, you will be able to create your own style.
6. Search for extraordinary locations
It is also important to realize that the more you work and suffer to get to the right location at the right time, the better the photo will usually come out. You cannot take extraordinary photos if you are not surrounded by extraordinary conditions.
7. Above all, have fun with photography
Finally, I would say that having fun with photography is essential as well. Of course, you have to be motivated and serious if you want to reach goals. When you are ambitious, it is easy to be too hard on yourself.
For instance, when I don’t get a good photo after a long day trying my best, I can get quite frustrated. I am sure that this is the case with many other photographers, because in the end we all want to be and feel productive as well. So, you should remind yourself that you started taking photos because is fun, and it should remain fun.
