Learning to photograph

A good photo essentially depends on your photographer’s eye. It also depends on how well you know your material. If you know your craft, your fingers will do the work themselves and you won’t even think about technique. So you’ll be able to express yourself as you’ve learnt the language…

The job of photographer is not the same if you work in the daily press, a fashion studio, on a report for a local paper or as an independent around the world. You must first learn about who you are to find out what type of photographer you will be and how you look at things. Are you an outgoing person or more introverted? Do you like nature, the sea, the mountains, the desert, the jungle, cold or hot weather? Do you see life in close-up? Do you collect portraits from magazines? Do you dream of travelling? Are you captivated by war stories? Do you have a fascination for sporting events? Do you spend time at modern art exhibitions? By asking yourself this type of question you’ll be able to work out what sort of photographer you are and avoid going into a field where you will be unable to give of your best.
In my field of photography, the world is my studio. Travelling in the “school of life” is therefore the only school to learn about the art.

It has its advantages: freedom, wonder, a multitude of experiences, and its inconveniences: there is no guarantee of success, no respite and no reference marks.
Anyone can learn the techniques for the field I’m in. Working out focal lengths, speeds and apertures does not need three years of study… However, you need time to travel and immerse yourself in another country. You have to be curious to become a photographer of the world. You should learn the language of the country you are interested in, embrace its culture to the point of making it your new life. By developing a passion for somewhere else you will become a good travel photographer. You will have something to share, to say and to show. A perfect photo that is empty of any feeling will never equal a blurred photo full of emotion.

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