5 Signs Your Photography Is Improving

You no longer find the same photos interesting

This is usually the first sign. What you initially found exciting and interesting, now seems mundane. Do you remember the first time you got a cool silhouette walking through a patch of light? I bet now you no longer find that as interesting. You’d still take the shot because why not, but what was once a 5 star image is now 3 at best. With time and experience your taste matures and the types of photos you take also matures. Everything you used to love a few years ago now seems too basic. Of course there are outliers and I’m talking about your body of work as a whole.

You get more picky

The second thing that happens is you now start to become more picky. It can no longer be any person walking through a patch of light, it has to be a specific person wearing a specific outfit. It can’t just be any patch of light, it now has to be hazy light or diffused light. As you become better you will also get more picky with your subjects, scenes, compositions and work in general. You will seek out photos that are more unique and more difficult to replicate.

You find photography more difficult

This leads on to the third point which is you will find photography more difficult. Maybe 2 years ago you’d see opportunities everywhere and would always be shooting, now you can’t seem to see as many shots. In reality you’re just looking for more unique subjects and scenes thus in turn making photography more difficult.

You shoot less

All this will lead to you taking less shots. Previously you’d easily fill up your card and come home with no less than 500 shots from a day where’s now you’re lucky to get 100. However the 100 from today would be at a higher level compared to the 500 from the past. If you find that you shoot less, are more picky and overall find photography more of a challenge, it’s a good thing. It means you’re improving.

You know what lens to take for a given location or scenario

When you know exactly what lens to take for a given location, scenario or subject, that is a sign that you’re improving as a photographer. I’m at a stage now where I can go out with one to two primes max and be covered for almost anything. That’s because I know that for a certain type of environment, a 35mm is best. While in a different type of environment, an 85mm is better. This saves carrying tones of unnecessary gear.