049 - 4 Resolutions to Make Your Photography Better in 2021
Since this is the first episode of 2021, I thought it would be fitting to talk about four resolutions that you can make to improve your photography. These are easy, daily and weekly habits that you can incorporate into your routine that are guaranteed to improve your photography. Quick fixes are excellent, and all, but habits are the real bedrock of talent, and they can make all the difference in making your craft better. So, listen to this episode and then see where you can fit easy habits into your routines to help make you a better photographer.
Resolution #1: Shoot every day
This is your training routine for your photography. Just like to get healthier, you need to exercise often. To get your best at photography, you need to do it every day. Now, shooting every day doesn't mean going out for hours on end. It could be 15 minutes at lunch, 20 minutes at the end of your day, or a beautiful few hours in the mountains. But pick up your camera (or your smartphone) and spend a few minutes dedicated to looking for art to create.
Doing this has two benefits that you should start seeing quickly. Firstly, you will engrain how to use your camera, what settings do what, and all the basics into your brain, which makes shooting much simpler because you are creating a muscle memory that you can rely on when you need to create great images. No more brain farts when great opportunities appear in front of you. Beyond the creation of muscle memory, the most significant benefit to doing this is that you will start seeing photographs everywhere. By forcing your brain to look for pictures every day, you are training it. It's like a super creative brain exercise. And eventually, you will start seeing great photographs even when you aren't out intentionally shooting. This makes it much easier for you to see possible images increasing the likelihood you will create great work, and when you need to shoot but things don't look too promising, you should be able to make great images more efficiently. All around, this is just one of the best ways to learn how to create better photos.
Resolution #2: Dedicate Time Each Week to your Photography Education
Education in photography is necessary to stay on top of your game and to learn new skills. I am continually watching youtube videos, listening to interviews, and learning from the best photographers in the world. I dedicate a few hours every week to learning new photography-related skills.
Listening to this podcast every week is a great start! But there are so many fantastic resources and photographers out there that I want you to expand beyond here. Obviously, keep listening to this podcast if you are learning (and let me know what you want to learn about) and take some time to learn techniques and ideas from others because that is one of the best ways to grow your mind. You need many different perspectives. Alongside shooting every day, this should be a staple of your routine to keep getting better as a photographer. Because this is how you practice and train to get better.
Think of these last two resolutions as though you were a professional athlete. Athletes train every day in some way - whether that's weight lifting, cardio, yoga, stretching - they do things every day to make their bodies work better for the sport they play. Then, they also spend time at practice doing the same drills repeatedly so that they can shoot a ball, make a move, or land a jump without thinking. That's what shooting every day will do for you. It's your muscle memory and your training routine. It's how you physically practise becoming better.
Athletes also spend a ton of time watching video. Watching video of their own game, watching video of courses and races, watching their opponents, just watching and absorbing everything they can. This is how they make themselves better mentally. They can practice all they want, but they won't get any better without learning from their mistakes and learning from others. This is what dedicated learning every week will do for you. It will make your mental game better for taking photographs.
Resolution #3: Start a Photography Savings Account
Identify a new lens, camera, or course that you want to take or purchase within the next year (or two) and determine how much you would need to set aside every month to make that happen. I find for a lot of people that things don't seem to matter until you put some money behind them (just think how many free webinars and things you haven't used because you didn't put money down). So, start setting aside some real money that will make you a better photographer. By doing this, you are telling yourself that this matters, that your photography matters and growing it matters. This is a mental check for yourself. And make sure you are always setting that money aside, and every time you see the money go into that savings account, remind yourself what you are saving for. What the dream end is. And make it something specific so that you can quickly call it to your mind. Make it a new Canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens, not just 'a lens', or the Sony A7C Camera body and not just 'a camera body', or make it an in-person course. Making it clear in your head will make it easier to save for.
Resolution #4: Join a Photography Community and Be Active in It
It's great to be a part of several photography communities, seeing other people's photos and where they go, but to feel the impact of being in the community truly, you have to be a part of it. So, engage with the other members. Comment on posts, post your images, put your work out there in front of other people and talk with people in the group about photography. I know this can be intimidating. Not only do you have to talk to other people (which can be bad enough), but you also need to be vulnerable by putting your artwork out there. And this can be terrifying. But it is a great way to grow as a photographer. Because it helps you get over the fear of showing other people your photos, and you may even get some helpful thoughts on how to become better. One of the other benefits, when we can gather together again in large groups, you will likely find a few shooting buddies to head out with. And having people to take photographs with can make heading out way more fun.
And that's it! Those are my four habits, resolutions… things that you can do at the start of 2021 and incorporate into your routine that are guaranteed to make your photography better. There is no magic wand that you can wave, and all of a sudden, you become a better photographer. That's not how this, or really anything in life, works. You need to practice every day, and you need to train your brain to create better photos. Best of all, you are already doing a few of these by listening to this podcast! Good job! I'm stoked that you are taking some time to learn.
If you've got something you want to learn about, drop me a line on Instagram at Travel Adventure Photo School or at Robert Masset Photography. This podcast is out there for you to learn from, so if you have something you want to learn more about, let me know.
Thank you so much for tuning in today. Let's hope for a fantastic 2021.
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