Setting goals will improve your photography



It is usually customary for many of us to set new goals when the years turn over. One of the best things that one can do with improving their skills as a photographer would be to set specific experience goals for themselves. For myself, that will be in the form of another 52-week project which I hope to continually share on this site. A photo a week for a year? I think I can do that. Either way, there are lots of ideas out there. Here are a few for you to perhaps try out:

1. Black and white project: photograph things only in black and white. Your camera should have a monochrome setting in the menu that would allow you to shoot the shot and preview the photos in black and white. This will both challenge you and allow your eye to notice more basic compositional elements.

2. Themed project: Pick a them. Whether it be a color, a shape, a location, etc. Then photograph that theme as much as you can. Look for it wherever you are. Go exploring and try to focus on just that theme. Give yourself a time limit of some sort and then change it up. Soon you will have a great group of shots for which to evaluate your progress and learning as you go.

3. Photo-a-day/Photo-a-week: These can be very challenging. I've attempted both the daily and weekly challenges but have never been successful at completing them. They take lots of dedication and sometimes you end up with really poor photos. On the upside, you will learn to master your camera, and that by itself is worth the challenge. Here's a link to the 52-week challenge that I'll be attempting this year: https://dogwood.photography/52weekchallenge2019

4. Try limiting yourself: try to not zoom your camera at all. Set it to wide angle and photograph everything that way. Then, on another day, zoom your lens all the way out and photograph everything that way. Try to do a series using only the manual focus on your lens. These limitations will force you to think differently and more intentionally to how you shoot. A very good practice to accelerating your skills.


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