OutsideShooter Offers Tips on Why and How You Shoot

Can you explain how you shoot?

Take a few of your best shots, and try explaining to someone the "how" of your shooting those particular shots. Why did you choose the physical position for that composure? Why did you choose the time of the day, if that shot was influenced by outdoor, natural light? Why did you change settings to achieve a specific capture? Why did you select a particular lens over another?

If you were to go out again, could you duplicate that shot, in order to further perfect it? Would you make any lens or camera body changes? Would you treat it exactly the same way you did in a photo editing program, such as Photoshop? 

Could you then tell someone exactly how to achieve the same effect, considering all of the above, assuming they needed advice?

How to Accomplish

If your answers to the above questions are more on the iffy side, let me make a suggestion that will help you in future OutsideShooting, (allow me license to coin a word).

Open and carefully review a single image that you are happy with. Take the time to review it with a critical eye on what it took to end with this wonderful capture. Now open a word document, or take pencil and paper, and write down all the steps it took to accomplish this as a finished image. Explain the settings, to include subject perspective and placement in the lens, time of day, lighting, camera body and menu settings, lens, filter(s) and software adjustments.

Documenting Your Shoot

You'll find that, other than shooting thousands and thousands of photos, this will more quickly get your sense of shooting, to perform as second nature and you'll remember it better and longer. Just as in tests taken in classroom settings, it helps to review all the information needed, in shooting it helps to write it down, review it, then go out again and duplicate it, or perfect it.

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If you have any further tips, feel free to add to comments below.