7 Essential Skills to be Good at Photography

Find Out What You Need to Know to be An Amazing Photographer

It’s safe to say we all want to be good at what we do. Most of the time though we don’t start at good but rather work our way up to it, and skills for photographers are the same.

There are many tips and tricks of the trade that different photographers use in their careers to develop their skills and achieve beautiful photos.  Several tips though are consistently a part of many of the great’s journey to great photographs. 

In this video tutorial, Nigel Danson shares the top 7 skills that you must have in order to take incredible photos and be the best photographer you can be.

Techniques and Instincts You Must Have to Be an Amazing Photographer

Here are 7 things that good photographers do consistently in their work.

These things are actually easy to copy and apply to your photography!

Essential Skills for Photographers #1: Perseverance 

The ability to go out again and again on shoots, as well as the ability to keep going out to the same locations again and again. Often you don’t find the gold shot on your first time at a scene, generally, as you become more familiar with a place you know where to look and what for. 

Experience is key. Crazy shots where the lighting is just right as the morning fog settles on a scene don’t just happen by accident.

They come from the experience of knowing the patterns and norms of an area. Showing up again and again and not giving up. 

Also the ability to keep showing up even when the conditions aren’t right. Being diligent to keep showing up day after day gets you the shot. 

Essential Skills for Photographers #2: Editing

It is very important you know how to edit your photos well! The more time you spend editing photos, the more experience you gain.

This experience can help with the way you see scenes and take photos having in your brain what will need to happen in post edit to bring out the gold in the photo. 

Knowing what works and doesn’t is really a matter of experience and trial and error – time spent in your editing software. 

There are tips and tricks that are general ideas for editing, like adjusting highlights and shadows and gentle touches with contrast. But as it is with most things, time and practice is the way to get better.

Putting the time in on your editing software and getting comfortable with the process can not only help enhance your photos in general,it can also:

1. Give you a style to your photography.
2. Help you make the most of a scene.
3. Helps you tell a story. 

Essential Skills for Photographers #3: Learn the Weather

Another tip for your photography journey is to learn the weather and to get out and shoot in all kinds of weather conditions.

It’s really important to understand what weather patterns create the phenomena you are wanting to shoot! Like what conditions create distinct rainbows and when is the best time for fog and mist.

It’s hard to shoot something when you don’t know how to look for it!

It’s also very important to know what weather you need to get the scene you are wanting to shoot. And not just understanding that rain + sun + rainbows.

Actually knowing how to read weather forecasts and then studying them to learn weather patterns to help you predict the conditions you need is what you need to be able to do. 

There are plenty of good weather apps to choose from, the important thing is learning what weather your shoot needs and planning ahead for it. 

Essential Skills for Photographers #4: Find the Subject

Something you need to be asking yourself when you are out taking photos is, ‘is there a subject in this photo?’

It’s not enough to take pictures of environments that have cool things present. You need a point of focus. Key elements of a great photo are: composition, amazing light, strong subject, and perfect timing. 

It’s easy to get lost in a beautiful scene taking pictures and not having anything in particular you are
shooting. A strong subject is compelling and draws the viewer in.

 Think through what object in your scene you want to be the point of focus and how everything else in the scene can work together to support that. 

Essential Skills for Photographers #5: Simplify

Think of this as less of what you are putting in your image, and more of what you are leaving out. Chances are you are putting too much in your image and it’s cluttering it up with detail and distracting from the subject. 

Also, if you include too much you leave nothing to the imagination for the viewer. A lot magic can be added to a photo when the viewer is left wondering what is just out of frame?

Ask yourself, is that adding to the composition? Is it helping to tell the story that I’m wanting to tell with this photo? If not it will probably be a better photo without it.

Essential Skills for Photographers #6: Patience 

When you get to the scene, don’t rush things. Take some time to observe and take it all in. This is easier said than done. It’s easy to get excited by a scene and to just jump strait in. If you just slow down and take it in you will see things you would otherwise have missed. 

You can better utilise your creativity as well by creating some space to see and be inspired. Don’t rush with your set up and go into muscle memory ‘going through the motions. Slow down.

Try getting to your shoot an extra 20 minutes early to just look around and take in the scene. 

Essential Skills for Photographers #7: Become an Expert in One Area

The more you focus on something, the better at it you can become. This isn’t to say that you can’t have wide interests as a photographer or take a bunch of different kinds of pictures. 

The facts are though that the more you let yourself specialise in a certain style of photography the more of an expert in that area you can become. Consider being more of a master of an area than a jack-of-all-trades master of none. 

If you have an area that you love or are more interested in, go for it! Really immerse yourself into that genre or style.

Improve your photography when you have these 7 skills in your toolbelt!

These easy to apply skills will help you hone in on your style and get better at photography.

If you want to improve your photography EVEN MORE – check out this full photography guide!

Which of these essential skills will you practice THIS WEEK?

Comment below!