when people ask for photography advice or suggestions, i always shy away from answering. it feels like i am the least qualified person ever to answer that question and have nothing useful to offer – because i don’t know so much more than i do know and because mostly i just play and have fun and see what happens.

except of course i have thoughts. (ha. of course i do. i have thoughts on lots of things, including things that i practice much less often – or never – than i practice photography.)

so, in this moment, here are my photography tips. i may have more later.

(use at your own risk. what i mean by that is, if there is something that appeals to you, use that and discard the rest. you are the best authority on you. this applies to everything, including photography tips.)

take pictures. a lot of pictures.

this is easier with digital cameras. yay, digital cameras! when i was young, i would often use an entire roll of film on a breaking wave. i liked waves, and every forward movement of the wave seemed even more photogenic than the last. i am very used to deleting (or discarding) pictures.

it’s partially the law of averages – the more photos you take, the more likely you are to take a photo (or photos) that you really love.

it’s also practice. the more photos you take, the more photos you see, and the more quickly you learn the compositions and subjects and and and that you prefer. this is how i learned about the rule of thirds. i took so many photos of nature that i noticed that if the main thing i wanted to capture wasn’t precisely in the center, i was more inclined to like the result. when i learned about the rule years later, it all made sense.

of course, the opposite is also true. there is something to be said for limiting yourself to a single photo and taking time to find just the right subject and to compose the photo in the way that feels just right and then experiencing the result. if you’re in need of a challenge, maybe this is it.

take pictures of things that you love.

you’re drawn to things. follow that!

it seems silly to try to force yourself to take pictures of things that other people take pictures of, or to capture things in ways that other people capture them, or to take pictures that you think other people want to see, if it’s not something you’re drawn to.

if you’re drawn to people, take pictures of them! if you’re drawn to flowers and birds and bees, take pictures of them! if you’re drawn to buildings, take pictures of them! if you’re drawn to light and shadow, take pictures of them! if you’re drawn to ice cream cones, take pictures of them!

your pictures are another reflection of you. it might feel vulnerable to share that piece of you, so you have total permission to never share anything with anyone ever.

i love atlas, the natural world (particularly flowers and trees and water), details, daily life, art, and lines/angles/color/pattern. can you tell?

again, the opposite is also true. there is something to be said for stepping out of your comfort zone. you might not need to take pictures of things that you don’t love, but it might be a good challenge to take pictures of things that you don’t normally capture. say, people instead of scenery or details instead of the entire scene.

play.

play!

hold your camera above your head or at water level or put it underneath a flower. snap a photo from your hip while you’re running with your dog or your child. put your camera on a new setting and take some pictures and see what happens. sit or lie down or twist at an odd angle. close your eyes.

use a slow shutter speed and press the shutter while you’re moving the camera. shoot through a sheer colorful fabric. hold a toilet paper tube or a kaleidoscope in front of the lens. shoot directly into the sun. cut off the top of someone’s head. stand too close to your subject. take a blurry picture.

ignore all the rules. break all the rules. don’t listen to anyone’s advice. do whatever you want.

in this case, i don’t think there is an opposite. when it comes to photography, play is work and work is play.

on that note, be your own expert.

you get to like your photos, whether anyone else does or not.

now it’s your turn!

feel free to agree or disagree or discuss or add your own.