Reply To: Becoming a better photographer: How did you do it?

[renko]

Take an enormous amount of photographs. There really is no substitute for practice. Experiment with aperture settings and focus point, learn how changes effect the photograph. Learn how to use fill flash. Learn to use the Zone System. Learn about hyperfocal distance.

I think the biggest first hurdle is to really get a handle on the capabilities of your gear. How do your optics perform at different stops? Do you need to refer to your manual or is it all stored in your memory? Even though you have a digital SLR and can chimp your way to proper exposure, get a handheld incident light meter and learn to use it so your shots are exposed properly the first time. Use manual mode on your camera, or at the very least aperture priority if you don’t have your handheld meter with you.

And getting back to practice, always have your camera with you. DSLRs are bulky and a pain to cart around, so invest in a simple film camera, like an Olympus XA. When I walk around, no matter where I am, I have an Olympus XA in my jacket pocket, and I’m constantly on the lookout for photograph opportunities. Don’t worry about “wasting” film. If the cost bothers you, buy a bulk loader and bulk film (100 foot rolls) and load your own cassettes, it’s easily 5x cheaper per roll that way.