8 tips to be a better photographer! Or A better person!

 In this article I am going to share the tips that I have learned along the way of my life, both in the field of entrepreneurship, being and spirit and how to be a better photographer and develop yourself as a person in the field professional, thus making the most of the present moment in every step we take in this short life.

1. Photography & Yoga

Finding the difference between a good and a bad photographer can be very simple. It has nothing to do with the equipment they carry, or how much they know about photography.

Good photographers are contortionists!

They are the ones who throw themselves to the ground, climb walls, they all twist, jump, jump and do whatever it takes to get their best picture! They do all kinds of contortion or strange yoga positions to get the photo.

I have learned from Renan Ozturk, one of my idols of adventure photography, that sometimes you have to take risks, no matter where you have to go, what you have to do or where you have to put your camera in order to capture the moment that you are looking, of course, as long as you are careful and take the necessary measures not to put yourself at risk, but dare to take the risk, seek new perspectives and you will be surprised at what you can find.

Exercise:

Taking a standing photo, normal, at the height of another person, can be boring, it is the angle that we all see and that we are used to. Look for new perspectives! Those that we are not familiar with, those that not everyone sees, it does not matter that this means getting your knees a little dirty, a good photo is worth more than a wash of clothes!

2. Photography without excuses

All the effort that went into taking this picture was definitely worth it.

Good photos are not there by themselves on a silver tray, you always have to go "one step further" and make an effort to capture them.

Do not think twice, if you see a moment that attracts you, shoot immediately. This is how I took this photograph that was later posted on NatGeo's IG account. I was literally freezing and dying of fatigue, but I already had in my mind that when Marcelo (my guide, who appears in the image) took a few more steps and was on the top of that mountain, the contrast of his body with the sky was I was going to look amazing so don't hesitate for a second to bring the camera up to my eyes! and thus capture the moment while walking.

Exercise:

Carry a camera with you all the time (it doesn't matter if it's your cell phone, a DSLR or a point & shoot). Nothing is guaranteed, sometimes we don't even bring the camera with us and in the time it took us to go through it, the natural light was no longer as magical as the moment you thought you wanted to take the photo.

Make up your mind to be demanding with yourself, nothing in this life is easy, because otherwise there would be no point in living it. So push yourself wherever you go.

3. True or False ?: The best photographers did it the first time

Taking a good photograph is quite a process and you have to learn to be patient along the way. Photography is not about taking the best photo with each shot, but about shooting many times until you find the best photo.

It is based on trial and error, there is a phrase that I love about Henri Cartier-Bresson, a photographer who did documentary photography, who says “Your first 10,000 photos will be your worst photos”. I think it's totally true, just to tell you that I shot and shot until I understood the “manual” functions on my camera, and it cost me.

Later, I began to practice based on the different rules of photography that I had read in a few books and learned in the photography courses that I was taking over time. Easy I took more than 10,000 photos. And now, after six years, I look back and realize how bad I did it, but if I hadn't taken those “bad” photos, I would never have been able to take the “good” ones later.

I have learned that great photographers have done this, another very clear example is that when telling a story, it is very important to gradually get to know the environment in which whatever you are telling takes place. Knowing people, knowing the environment and gradually capturing the essence, it will be then that you take the most worthwhile photo or photos, but the first step is to capture the environment and understand the people, in order to have a deeper approach to what you want to tell.

Exercise:

Approach a stranger (it could be the owner of the gorditas on the corner or the man who sells ice cream outside the schools). Get to know their history a little, dare to ask them questions and do it not just for one, but for three, four or five days ... And at the end, once there is trust and that person has opened up with you, ask for a photo. I assure you that it would not be the same photo as if you took it the first day you met him / her.

4. Focus on one thing only

If I have learned something, it is that "he who covers a lot, little squeezes" and it is a lesson that I had a hard time learning because I liked many types of photography when I started, with telling you that I started by wanting to take photography at weddings, something totally different from what I do today.

I am fascinated by wedding photography, urban photography, fashion photography, product photography, I actually wanted to do everything, but one day I understood that I had to focus on only one type of photo and dedicate all my focus and creativity to that.

So I chose the "adventure" photography, and I could say that it is a date that I have not finished deciding what type of adventure I want to do, since, within it, there are many branches, such as adventure in the mountains, adventure under the ocean, sports, flora and fauna, astronomy ...

Anyway, I think I summarized my portfolio as much as I could and for now, I'm more focused on a mountain adventure because that's what I do; mountaineering. However, perhaps tomorrow I will change to another approach to adventure, but that is what I am passionate about, being able to always seek to explore new things and know everything that we are capable of doing as human beings. And that's my way of being able to share it.

If, on the other hand, what you like is, for example, urban photography, I could advise you to go out every day to the streets of your city, take photos of buildings, people, cars, houses, motorcycles, etc. and work on developing all your creativity in always looking for a different angle. The same I recommend for any type of photo, do not get tired of going out and shooting.

Do, every day, something that leads you to fulfill your dream, no matter how small the action, dedicate a bit of your day to day, whatever is enough for you, but focus.

How to make your portfolio?

If you focus your creativity on only one specific type of photography, little by little you will realize that you will have good material to share. So when you show your content, the people or the client you want to work with, they will know that you are good at that specifically and that you know and know exactly what you are doing. This is how you will generate trust and credibility with your client.

Don't forget: it is better to be good at one thing than mediocre at ten.

5. Nothing is original

The writer Jonathan Lethem (American) says that when a person believes that something is "original", nine times out of 10 it is because they do not know anything about the origin of where that something comes.

What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nothing, but that all creative work is built on a work that was done previously. The Bible itself says: "There is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1: 9).

Some are disappointed to realize this, but at the same time it can become motivating. Soak up that person/boudoir photography Calgary you admire and follow their example, get inspired by them and then create new content based on their ideas.

Accept the idea that you are inspired by something or someone else, instead of fighting against it and wasting time trying to find new things, renew the concept.

Be curious, explore all the time and at all hours, I am sure that from a small idea, something great will be born.

6. Take care of your body

It is very easy to maintain a routine and stick to your day to day, but don't you think that is the easy way?

Leaving our comfort zone will always involve a bit of effort, we are so used to doing what society tells us and following the imposed norms, that sometimes we are afraid and uncomfortable to get out of the routine.

You better understand that this life is very short and that time flies, so spend your time staying active, go for a walk in the fresh air, exercise, sleep well and enjoy good company, go to the dentist, put on sunscreen When you are in the sun and eat well, keep a balanced diet, that the body is the vehicle of your soul and can take you further than you think, take care of it!

As a photographer you always have to walk up and down and strive to find something different, that new perspective that as a photographer you must seek and, for this, it is necessary to be present, alert and active at all times , Ready for whatever comes!

7. Don't see, observe

Everything is in capturing the moment, it can be a change of light, a gesture, an emotion, a scene. See with your eyes, not the camera.

8. Put aside everything you have left!

Get rid of what does not serve you, take the best advice and choose which ones do not benefit you and which ones, take the good that life gives you!

We are all different beings and we all think differently, each one has their story, do not judge, listen to what each person has to contribute to your life.

An artist, collect. The true artist knows how to choose and is selective with what he wants in his life. There is a theory of economics out there, which says that if you count the income of your 5 best friends and average it, the result will be very close to your own income.

I think it's the same for our ideas, surround yourself with positive people and your thoughts and ideas will be positive. You are as good as that which you surround yourself with. My mom always told me "tell me who you hang out with and I'll tell you who you are", so do it, fill yourself with positive people and your life will change, trust me. The better the ideas you collect, the better the ideas you create.

Get inspired, fill your heart with what your soul and spirit longs for, break with old paradigms and overcome new challenges, that life is an invitation to change. Be authentic!