A few tips on how to improve your photography

Someone asked me for a few tips on how to improve their photography so I jotted a few notes down. In a way, I think the only true way to improve is to shoot things you like anyway and devote time to thinking about photography when you're not actually out taking shots - it's building an awareness in a way.

Here's what I said...

1. For practice, find something inanimate and accessible, I like architecture and landscape cause they're always there. You can shoot at those all day, they don't get bored
   
2. Be ready to go out at any time - have your kit ready (ish) and some batteries on charge. The less effort it takes to go out, the more likely you are to go out.
3. Find a location close to home where you can exeriment safely - where nice people walk dogs, not where junkies do their deals.
4. Shoot things that genuinely interest you - and interested you before you got into photography. These will hold your interest for longer, and by going to them, you'll be killing 2 birds with 1 stone too.
5. Gradually learn the technical side of camera control - how shutter, aperture and ISO work together etc. and what effect they have on a shot. e.g. work out why you'd use ISO1600 over ISO100. Don't get too bogged down at first though, it's important but getting tied up in calculations can put you off and you'll loose interest.
   
6. get the right kit for your chosen subject - architecture/landscape is best with a tripod, portraiture it's not needed, but a flash is useful. Just get what you NEED though - not blow the mortgage
7. when walking constantly look at your surroundings and mentally frame shots - look for compositional elements and think what lens or other kit you'd use to capture the scene.
8. do not assume upgrading kit is the key to better shots - only upgrade when you truly feel you need to (e.g. get a 5D if you're doing huge prints or low light work, get a 1D if you're out in the rain a lot etc.).

Just a few ideas I had anyway