How to Take Razor-sharp Photos to Capture Moments or Get Paid

Please read this if you have always been drawn to photography and just starting out, need a creative outlet or want to take it to the next level and get paid for your passion for taking photos.

I know many of us to wish there was an easier way to learn photography with all the terminology and an overwhelming amount of information available on YouTube land. We see all these crisp sharp photos online and want people to appreciate our photos… it makes us feel valued and proud after all.

I want to share with you some of the things I’ve done to realize my dream of getting paid for my passion for photography.

What is yours? Why?

Take a sheet of paper and write down why you are learning photography. What's your motivation?

From my experience, no one learns photography just for the sake of it. Do you want more money? Do you want a flexible work schedule? Do you want to make the world a more beautiful place?

After you answer that first question, follow up with another why.

Why do you want to learn photography?

Because I want to capture moments Why do you want to capture moments? ___________ Write your answer there and keep asking why until there is nothing left to be said. Whenever you want to quit, and that is happening a lot especially in the beginning, look at that sheet of paper and reconsider it. Start with the end in mind

This is both on a micro and macro scale. Micro because before you head out for a shoot or edit a photo, ask yourself: What do I want to achieve here? and reverse engineer the steps you need to take.

On a macro scale, it means to have an internal compass that guides you: “Where do I want to be in 6 months with my photography? We underestimate what 6 months of focussed consistent effort can do for our lives. Also, reverse engineer the steps for this. Focus on what truly matters. The 80/20 Rule. This is linked to my earlier point about all the information that is available out there. As a beginner bombarded with an avalanche of photography jargon, concepts, tutorials, etc. Trying to learn everything at once is a struggle. Starting out you should focus on the 20% of concepts that give you 80% of the results. That 20% depends on the type of photography you are doing and what your goals are.

Make it a habit

It takes 21-30 days until you form a new habit so you can’t skip days (especially in the beginning). You do something to move you forward in photography EVERY SINGLE DAY. Whether that be taking photos or practicing your editing skills.

This has multiple benefits.

The first benefit is that it will reinforce that reality that we talked about, the reality in which you are a photographer who takes sharp photos.

The second benefit is that you will become better at using your camera instinctually like it is an extension of your own arm to creative capture images you wouldn't normally be able to.

You will start going out with your camera more often, able to frame shots easier and not have to take 100 photos to have 1 decent photo. You focus more on quality, not quantity.

Accountability

The next tip is to have someone to keep you accountable so you don’t miss days.

When you skip one day, it becomes super easy to miss a week and that week becomes a month, etc... until you are totally side-tracked and give up.

The next thing that will make learning photography simpler is a mentor. I think it's a no brainer.

What is a mentor?

A mentor is someone that has already walked in your shoes and ideally is where you want to be.

If you have a mentor, you will stop wasting time figuring things out on your own and you can be provided feedback on your photography journey. You can ask questions, which you may deem ‘silly’. You will not be stuck every time you try to make progress and ultimately your artistic side will feel inspired.