Hi, and a very warm welcome to Episode 183 of the Photography Explained podcast. I'm your host, Rick. In each episode, I will try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 27 minutes (ish) without the irrelevant details. I'm a professionally qualified photographer based in England with a lifetime of photographic experience, which I share with you in my podcast.
Here is the answery bit
So, how can you improve your photography skills? Well, one of the best ways is to learn from other photographers. Take a look at the work of photographers you admire. What is it about their photos that you like? How did they become so famous? And what about those iconic photos from history? What makes them stand out?
As you begin to analyze and interpret other photographers' work, a new world of perspectives will open up to you. This process of self-discovery and understanding will transform the way you see and capture the world through your lens.
And there is another photographer who can help you learn - you. Yes, you.
In this episode, I'll share with you my personal journey of learning from other photographers. I'll also introduce you to ten photographers that I admire for various reasons. Most importantly, I'll guide you on how to learn from your own photos, from capturing good photos to creating great photographs.
Yes, there is stuff you can do to help you, and it costs you nothing but a bit of your own time—how utterly splendid!
Right - learning from other photographers.
Don't compare where you are now with any more advanced photographer. I must say that at the beginning. If you do this, you might unfairly compare yourself as someone who has been doing photography for a couple of months with someone who has been practising photography for a few decades. And conclude that you are rubbish compared to them.
Don't do that. Why would you ever expect to be as good as them? Unless you have a particular skill or are an instantly extraordinary photography genius. And if you are, get in touch and tell me all your secrets!!!
No use established photographers and their work as things to learn from and aim for.
The problem with the world today
Attention is a problem these days. There is so much photography stuff out there; you can scroll through endless photos on any social media app; they really are never-ending feeds. You might like, thumbs up, whatever people do on the various social channels the photos that you like. But how much time did you spend really appreciating a photo that you liked?
I do this myself. I try not to. I scroll through an endless feed of photos, and if I like something, I will, erm, like it and then move on. I am not really appreciating the content and quality of photos, I am making a public display of liking a photo and then moving on. Endless social media feeds are not the best way to research other photographers - we need to expend a bit of effort on this,
So, where do we start? Here are ten professional photographers that I appreciate, and I am going to tell you why very quickly. This is my list, and it tells you a lot about me. Oh yes, there are links to all these good folks' websites in the blog post on the podcast website.
Ansel Adams
I don't have many photography books, but I have one Ansel Adams book that I actually look at - 400 Photographs. Yes, I actually look at his photos in this book. I never get bored of his landscape photography work. Every year, I get an Ansell Adams calendar for my office.
There is a lot more to Ansell Adams, but I love his photos.
Check out the Ansell Adam's Gallery at Ansel Adams.com.
Bryn Griffiths
A UK photographer. And a great photographer at that. And also the man who helped me get my first photography qualifications. Yes, I had a Hasselblad master as my mentor. Lucky me. And a very nice man too. A very nice man who made me look at my photos and made me realise that they were not as good as I thought they were and, more importantly, why.
Bryn's website can be found at Bryn Griffiths Photography.com.
Scott Kelby
The man who got me to understand Lightroom. He never managed to get me to understand Photoshop, but that is fine as it turned out I didn't need it!
I love Scott's travel photography and his podcast, The Grid, but I will always be grateful for his Lightroom training. I met the man himself in London on a one-day course he was offering.
Scott's website is Scott Kelby.com.
Tony and Chelsea Northrup
Both photographers not only take great photos but also provide fantastic photography training. And I will always have a soft spot for the pair of them for the videos they did on stupid photography terms. I did a series of episodes on this, and they gave me the reassurance that it was not just me.
Tony and Chelsea's website is Northrup.photo.
Tray Ratcliffe
I got to know Tray when he was involved in HDR software development. HDR is short for high dynamic range. And no, it is not a bad thing. Check out his work. I am talking about HDR, which really enhances what is in a photo. His photos have such a lovely feel. He has a great daily travel blog. Check him out at Stuck In Customs.com
Dudley Platypus (Philip Brown)
Philip Brown (his real name) is a cricket photographer. He captures the spirit of cricket in his photos—not just someone taking a wicket or smacking the ball to the boundary, but all the other stuff around the edges. In some ways, I hate him—he is doing my dream job.
Check out his website at Philip Brown Photos.com.
Sebastião Salgado
"I photographed the world" is his famous quote, and boy, did he. Amazing black and white photography of the world we live in. Excellent compositions, subject matter and mastery of light. It is a great combination that we should all aspire to be the best we can with.
Check out his website at institutoterra.org - it might not be what you were expecting!
Steve McCurry
"I love being able to travel the world and experience different cultures and landscapes." He has done that, and in doing so, he has captured so many amazing images that we are fortunate enough to be able to look at. Amazing images that I can only ever hope of getting anywhere near.
Steve's website is Steve McCurry.com.
Martin Bailey
The Tokyo-based Brit with the excellent Martin Bailey Photography Podcast, which I have listened to for years. I love Martins's photos, nature and wildlife, and he has such a lovely, calming voice, which I have tried to emulate if I am being completely honest with you!
Martin Bailey Photography.com
Thomas Heaton
Another Brit, a great photographer, with a great sense of humour and a lovely way about him. Oh yes, and a massive YouTube channel. I love his videos, which are on location and teach all the stuff we need to know in such a lovely way on location, how it should be.
Check out his website, Thomas Heaton.co.uk.
There are some famous names in there, some I know, some I have met, some I have watched, and some I have listened to. Check them out, and you will get an idea of what interests me and what has influenced me. This is quite a varied list. But it is my list. My list is my list, and each photographer is there for a specific reason.
You will end up with your list of photographers. That will be your list. It will be a list of photographers you enjoy, identify with and learn from.
If you want to learn photography, this is a great way to do so. You can learn from others who have already done it and do it in a way that you like and identify with.
I can't tell you who will be on your list, and it will evolve over time.
I want you to spend time looking at what others have done—it will help you, broaden your mind, and add something to the photos that you take.
This is what I have done.
The first step is to find photographers you like and learn from their work. I spent years taking photos without doing this and didn't progress much.
You will be told not to try and copy people, and I agree to a point. Rather than trying to copy them, take what they do and how they do it and apply this to what you do.
And don't compare where you are to where they are. You are at a different point on your photographic journey than they are.
That's all I want to say about this. Apart from this.
There is one other photographer you can learn from.
You. Yes, you, dear listener.
Assuming you have taken some photos, you have something to work with. Ask yourself these questions.
- What do you like about your photos?
- What do you not like about your photos?
- How many photos do you edit and do something with that you have taken?
- How many photos that you have taken have you done nothing with?
- How many photos could you put together to make your own portfolio?
And there is the technical side of things.
- Are all your photos correctly exposed?
- Are your photos sharp?
- Are there any technical issues?
- What camera settings did you use with your favourite photos?
- Are there any trends?
- Is there a favourite aperture?
- Favourite shutter speed?
- Favourite focal length?
- Are there any trends in the content of your photo?
- Do you have a favourite main subject?
- Do you use the rule of thirds or any of the other rules?
Look at these things, and you might find a pattern or patterns with similar settings that give you the best results.
Yep, there are a lot of questions, but start asking these questions, and you will start the thought process that will lead to you beginning to take better photos. And it might change what you take photos of.
If you have taken photos with a camera, you should have all that metadata that will tell you a lot about how you took your photos from a technical perspective.
The talky bit
I wish someone had told me this years ago. See, I went on and on taking photos, churning out the same standard of stuff. Technically OK, average compositions. Very average photos.
The problem was that I thought I was great. Well, I had to be. I had spent all that money on all that gear and taken loads of photos, so of course, I was great.
The problem is I was not looking at the photos I created. That bit was missing. I wasn't taking interesting compositions. I was concentrating on the quantity rather than the quality. I was taking technically correct but average, boring photos. I wasn't really thinking about what I was taking photos of. It was a mechanical process rather than a creative process.
But this all changed when someone else actually looked at my photos.
Why getting a critique of your photos is so useful
It was a scary prospect, but when I had my work critiqued by Bryn, everything changed for me. The way I looked at my photos changed. It was the first time someone had really looked at my photos as individual images and as a set of images, a body of work. And not a great body of work either.
My technical skills were okay, but that was the easy bit. I had basic photography skills, but they were technical, not creative. Great photography is all about the content of the photo, the light, and how the various elements relate and interact. A good photographer makes the best of all of these. Technical correctness is a given.
No, the hard bit, the thing that sets a skilled photographer apart from others is what you take photos of and how you take them.
But that is part of the learning process, and I recommend everyone does it. If you do this, you must be open to the constructive feedback you will receive. Don't be offended by it.
But before you even think about doing that, do this.
Pick your best 12 photos. Take some time over this, and select the best 12 photos you have. Every time you go out taking photos, aim to replace one of those photos with one that is better. Yes, aim for better results every time you take a photo.
These 12 photos are your portfolio. This is your starting point.
Why My One Photo Rule Can Help You.
In episode 152, I talked at length about my one-photo rule. This was the answery bit.
Take one photo. When you are looking at something you want to photograph, take one photo. Do not take loads of photos from different angles and viewpoints. Do not take hundreds of photos and try to find the good one when you get back home. Stop, think, look around, and take the best one photo that you can. And then move on.
And yes, I really do this.
This has transformed how I take my photos. It absolutely transformed my photography in so many ways. Now, on photo shoots, I try to get one photo and move on. I used to take loads of photos of the same thing and find the good one later in Lightroom.
Photographing a sunrise or sunset? I am after one photo and one photo only. I love golden hour. I want to get one photo and enjoy the rest of that wonderful moment without my camera.
Right - I am done.
What if I use my phone to take photos and not a camera?
All of the above applies. And I still would recommend that you get a camera. You can take better photos with a digital camera than you can with a phone.
So the first thing you should do if you take photos with a phone is get a camera. There, I have said it! Again!!
Digital photography, for me, is all about cameras, lenses and all the other good stuff that goes with them.
What do I do?
What I have told you is what I have done. And I am still working on being a better photographer with every photo I take. Yes, with every single image, I want to create something I can put in my portfolio of 12 photos. I am always trying to take the best photo that I can.
Every time I press the shutter button, I have thought about what I am taking a photo of.
I don't look at the work of other photographers as much as I should—I know that—but doing this is a great way to help us take more interesting and possibly different photos than we would have done alone.
I have the right gear to help me get the photos that I want. I only buy new equipment when it will help me do something that I can't do now.
That is what I do.
My Survey on phones and cameras
I have set up a survey on this subject. I would really appreciate it if you completed the survey, which will take 2 minutes of your time. Just head over to Photography Explained Podcast.com/survey2024.
I will pick up the survey results in a future episode, so thanks in anticipation for your assistance with this.
Some thoughts from the last episode
I have said enough about not liking taking photos with my phone, so I will move on.
What is the next episode of the Photography Explained Podcast?
Moving on in the series about how to take better photos, I am finally on to processing. Episode 183 will be Image processing – the stuff you need to know - title to be worked on, but this is what it will be about. Image processing is a potentially endless process if you let it be, but with the right approach, it doesn't have to be, and that is what I tell you all about.
Ask me a question for the Photography Explained Podcast
If you have a question you would like me to answer, email me at sales@rickmcevoyphotography.co.uk or head over to the podcast website photographyexplainedpodcast.com/start.
Also, check out the questions page, where there is a big old list of things you can choose from.
And if you want to say hi, please do – it would be great to hear from you.
Get a weekly email from me.
If you would like to receive a weekly email from me where I tell you what I am thinking about, fill out the form on the podcast website, and every Friday, you will get a lovely email from me. How utterly splendid eh?
Right, I'm done. This episode was brought to you by, wait for it, Fruit and Fibre cereal and semi-skimmed milk and a coffee. Because I'm recording this in the morning because I've had technical issues. This episode wasn't going out today, but, um, I managed to just get there at the very last minute.
So, yep, a bowl of Fruit and Fibre. Yeah, that's not great, is it? Looking forward to a cheese and pickle sandwich later. And that was washed down with some coffee before I settled down in my homemade, acoustically cushioned recording emporium. I've been Rick McEvoy. Thanks again very much for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast (it says here) and for giving me 27 ish minutes of your valuable time. This episode will be about 28 minutes long after I have edited out the mistakes and other bad stuff.
See you on the next episode.
Take care and stay safe.
Cheers from me, Rick
