10 Things Photographers Should Focus On

Focus on these 10 things and start growing!

Are you guilty of at least a few of the following:

1. Which camera should I buy?

2. Which lens should I use?

3. Which tripod is the best?

4. Should I buy a full frame?

5. What's your shutter speed?

6. What's your aperture setting?

7. What's your ISO?

8. Which Lightroom Preset you use?

9. Which Softbox to buy?

10. What is the laptop for photo editing?

I have been focusing on the wrong things for the past 8 years. They led me to no where. No real value gain, no real growth, and minimal improvement in my photographic works.

For starters, follow these 10 steps and save yourself years of troubles.

1. Lighting

This is the first thing in photography that you should learn to SEE. Photography is all about using lighting to create your image.

2. Background

Is the background too messy? Is the background suitable for the subject you want to photograph on? Does the background enhance the story you are trying to tell your viewers?

3. Details

Focus on details of your images. Are there any unwanted distractions? Could the photo be taken without the distractions? Have you captured all the important elements of the image?

4. Composition

There are plenty of composition rules you can follow:

Rule of thirds, leading lines, repetitions, symmetry, depth, framing, triangles, and many more.

For starters, try to train your eyes to follow the rule of third. Let this be your first foundation.

Just google and you will find lots of resources to learn from. Here's one from Petapixel.

5. Angle

Angle affects the impact of an image. Should you shoot at higher angle, or lower angle?

Credit: Shot taken during Keda Z masterclass 2019. Model - Queenie

6. Poses

If you are photographing people, posing could be one of the trickiest to master. Do read up, watch videos, and practice practice practice! Practice in front of the mirror, pose yourself and you will understand how the human body mechanics work.

7. Expression

Focus on your subject / model's expression. Is the expression suitable for the image?

8. Story

As a portrait photographer, you have to be in your subjects' shoes. Meaning, you have to be a lawyer, chef, CEO, doctor, whatever your clients' profession are. This will help you engage better with your clients, and understand the kind of shots they want.

9. Purpose

What is your purpose in photography? Do you want to be a professional? Or are you a hobbyist? Without a purpose, you are just sailing the ocean without a direction, and this will lead to no where.

10. Personal Branding

Focus on building your Personal Brand. Start working on your awards, getting certified, and frequently publish your works.

Find out more about Personal Branding here.

Focus your energy on the right elements, and great results will follow.

Remember, it is not the tools that make a good photo, it is the photographer behind it.

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