Creating great photography is always inspiring and fulfilling because the captured image is the result of your own experiences and passions. Any photograph is the culmination of a series of choices made within the constraints of the camera frame. The ‘Photographers Eye’ is the element that makes each photographer different and allows photography to be such a diverse art form.

“The two most engaging powers of a photograph are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.” – William Thackeray

If you’re new to photography or want to capture the world differently there are a few photography techniques that can be followed to inspire you. Here are some ideas on how you can improve your photography and be inspired to make the best images you can.

1. Learn From Others

Surf the Web. Look at images in magazines, newspapers and in on-line galleries and you’ll find a wealth of ideas. I have always found that the path to mastering any new technique involves viewing as many examples of the process as possible. You can learn many things from ‘reading’ images — good ones as well as bad — that are very difficult to appreciate through words.

2. Learn the ‘Visual Language’

Visit Art Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions that have photography shows. Learn the history of art and photography and discover how highly creative people develop methods for expressing light and colour.

3. Watch Movies

Films are another source of inspiration, as they are nothing more than still images shown to you at 24 frames a second. Lots of ideas for concepts, lighting, concepts and styles can be found in films made by the best cinematographers.

4. Read Photography Books

There are many great photography books for learning new techniques and skills. But don’t just treat photography as technical exercise. It’s also important to read up on great photographers and the philosophy of photography as this can give meaning and inspiration to your images.

5. Look Through ‘Creative Eyes’

Pick any subject and photograph it just to see what it looks like; things around your house, in the refridgerator, etc. For this kind of exercise the subject doesn’t really matter all that much. What does matter is how you view and capture it. Even in the days of using film I would take many photographs to hone my style regardless of cost – a concern that digital photography has alleviated.

6. Composition Is The Key

Think about what you are seeing and what kind of shot you can get from the subject. Frame your photo in your mind looking for interesting angles and light. Go high and low, close and distant and use lenses to get different effects. The key is to shoot the subject in as many different ways, under different lighting, and try to make those images interesting. For instance, there’s no rule saying that a family holiday image cannot be be interesting, beautifully composed and even quirky. So, don’t just point and shoot, consider the composition and look at the content of the whole frame. What you leave out of a photography is just as important as what you leave in.

7. The Twenty Step Exercise

If you lack inspiration, you can take your camera, go outside and start shooting anything around. Each photographer has their own secret. Some recommend shooting 100 photos in one hour. Others suggest you should try to get 100 shots from within the 10 metre radius of where you are. Others play twenty steps. Go out for a walk, walk twenty steps, stop, look around, take a picture (try and make it interesting, an unusual angle, a closeup, abstract, etc), walk another twenty steps, repeat. The point is to develop your eye, learn to look more indepth at your surroundings, to look in close as well as wide. This exercise forces you to try and see the mundane differently.

8. Take Your Camera With You

Make sure you take your camera with you everywhere (or at least as often as possible). The opportunity for a great photograph can crop up at any time and you can guarantee that the day you leave your camera at home will be the day that unmissable opportunity arises.

9. Shoot in Different Conditions

If you shoot at different times of day or in different weather the final results will be very different. The available light in early morning, late afternoon at sunset, can add more depth and create interesting shadows and colour changes. Try to photograph people and places in fog or rain – the circumstances will throw up interesting opportunities and moods.

10. Look Through Postcards

If you want to shoot the city you live in, or you plan a trip to some exciting place, you’ll find it useful to look through postcards. Often we walk past something time and time again and never actually notice its potential. Besides, postcards will give you ideas what is the best way to shoot the subject.

11. Learn How to ‘See’ With Your Camera

Here’s another exercise to develop your ‘eye’. If your camera has a viewfinder, look through it for some time. Then look at a scene, and imagine how the camera will see it. Then hold the camera up to your face again and see if you were right. Keep trying until you can tell immediately what the camera will see. I would always recommend the view finder instead of the live view – this gets you closer to the composition and feels more personal.

12. Critique Your Work

Once you start taking lots of photographs you will need to sort them ruthlessly. If you use software like iPhoto or Adobe Lightroom you should rate and edit all the best images. It is only by looking through these shots and seeing if better crops make improvements that you will see how your style is developing.

13. Enter Online Contests

It’s a great inspiration to enter contest with like minded photographers. Although it is nice to win, it isn’t the reason to take part. Discussing your work and the work of others will help you improve and appreciate other peoples way of seeing.

14. Join a Photo Community and Interest Groups

It is cheap, informative, and fun. You can post your photos, participate in critiques and discussions on forums. There are some very good and interesting sites to be found out there!

15. A photo A Day

Take a photograph of something different each day and see if you can create images in a variety of styles. Taking photographs doesn’t have to be a serious endeavour. Images of family and holidays are important to us all, but once you know how to visualise the image you will be able to take great photographs in all situations.

The most important thing to remember is to enjoy your photography. Regardless of whether you take pictures for art or leisure, if you don’t have fun then you’ll find your images become less inspiring and ultimately others won’t appreciate them either.

If you have any techniques that have helped you then let me know!

Recommended Reading: