Many new shooters think that the quality of their work is limited to what camera they own or which brand of lens they shoot. If only I had that super expensive lens, they might think, I could capture that image, too. But the truth is, the biggest upgrade you’ll ever make to your photography is not with your camera body, but in your approach to it.
Light is more important than settings
Before you think about ISO, aperture, or shutter speed, think about the light. This is what establishes the mood, creates depth, and determines the quality in a photograph. Soft light in the early morning or late afternoon is much more interesting than the midday sun, and most importantly, if you learn to observe how light falls, your photographs will be better, regardless of what camera settings you choose.
Keep your images simple
Simple images are strong. They rarely are a result of an overcomplicated scene. Most strong images are simple, clear compositions. Rather than trying to capture everything, try to capture one subject, and create a composition around that subject. A balanced composition, use of leading lines, or the rule of thirds can all help, but remember the goal: make sure your image is easy to read, that you know where the subject is in relation to the background.
Overthinking camera settings
It’s easy for beginners to get caught up on camera settings, and in turn, miss the opportunity to take the picture they really want. Camera settings, after all, are just a tool; they should not be where you start. If you can visualize the end result, whether that means capturing fast motion, a moody atmosphere, or sharp detail, understanding the tools to capture that scene will become much easier. Your photographs will change from guessing at a specific shutter speed or ISO to deciding for yourself what the best settings are for the shot.
Sharpening your eye
Practice is the key to improvement, but it is not enough to just start shooting anything, anything, at any time of day in any environment. Give yourself limitations; try to capture the same object using different perspectives or the same subject in the same location from multiple angles. Constraints help you be more creative and force you to notice details you would not normally think to look for.
The bottom line
There is no secret to taking better photos without using better equipment; you have to train your eye to see the world in a different way. Light, shape, space and time can make any image interesting, and that is when photography moves from the technical to the creative.