Consistency.

It’s the ‘it” word right now in just about EVERY Facebook group, freebie, webinar, YouTube episode… etc.

But the only thing consistent in my life, is INCONSISTENCY. Seriously - am I broken? Why can’t I stick to a routine? I want to change my life REALLY BADLY, and yet - inconsistency is my Achilles.

So, here’s how it’s playing out in my life as a photographer:

I’m inconsistent in what I photograph - I take photo’s of EVERYTHING, and I’m not nailing just a few. I don’t do anything long enough, to develop my own style or even flow.

My edits are completely inconsistent. I LOVE a grungy aesthetic. Textured, layered, touchable. With added grain and scratches. But can I DO that consistently? Nope.

And because I’m so inconsistent, it makes me want to stop doing photography all together.

I know what I’m SUPPOSED to do - have a consistent style, put up imagery that would appeal to my ideal client, create a sign up freebie that my dream customer would jump at downloading so I can build my email list… and yet… if I can’t guarantee the style and aesthetic of what I’m producing - how can I gain clients that have faith in what their end result will be?

And then… I see all these other AMAZING photographers doing photography I’d LOVE to be doing, but I know that I’m falling short on skills and equipment to achieve the looks they’re getting. If I’m being honest - I estimate that it’s about 80% skill, and 20% equipment.

So how do you mentally compete with “They’re so much better than me”?

Well, the route I’m choosing is this: Get 1% better every day.

Ok, so lets be blunt - I’m not going to consistently do this every day. But lets say 4 or 5 days a week, I manage to get 1% better. Even if I only did it 3 days a week - that’s 100% better in a year.

Although I’d heard about this before, it didn’t hit home until I joined Sean Cannell’s YouTube course, and he drums that home regularly. If you just up level your skill 1% in every YouTube you create - very quickly, you’ll be getting a LOT better.

My biggest problem with photography, is how do I get the experience, if I can’t get the opportunities, because my photography isn’t up to scratch?

It feels like a catch 22 situation. How can I get better, if I don’t get the regular practice? I guess that is probably one good reason to go to some sort of school situation for this - you get hands on experience as part of the course. But doing it yourself? On your own it’s harder. If you want to do weddings - convincing someone to let you potentially mess up their big day? Same with newborn photography - that’s a lot of trust they’re placing in you with their new little one.

So I decided to make a list - 100 ways I can get better, 1 percent at a time - BUT I ONLY GOT TO 40… ;)

You don’t have to do every one of these - maybe just a few! Otherwise it’ll be super overwhelming!

Pick a consistent subject I CAN photograph regularly. My kids. My food. Coffee. If I HAD to take a better or different photo every day for a month, or 6 months of essentially the same thing - what is within my ability to do daily?
Pick an editing style. Or choose to edit every photo differently until I figure out what I really like.
Go on Pinterest and find a months worth of photo-a-day-challenge ideas. They literally have a TONNE of them. I’ve got some on my “Inspiration” board here: pinterest.nz/RedandtheWolfPhotography/photography-inspiration/
Go on Pinterest and make a board of photo’s you want to try, that look easy (ish). Keep trying them until you manage to replicate what you’ve found. pinterest.nz/RedandtheWolfPhotography/photography-i-want-to-try/
Join some Facebook groups devoted to photography that allow for feedback.
Go onto YouTube and try some of the editing tutorials that other people share.
Take lots of photo’s on my phone for IG stories - just work on composition for starters.
Try taking 100 different photo’s of the same setup. How many different angles, distances, slightly moving the props or person - how could I challenge myself to take as many different photo’s as possible - and then reflect back over them as to what worked, what didn’t, and why.
As per number 8 - but do it with lighting. Move your subject around in different lighting situations. Morning, night, natural, flash, softboxes, hard lighting, mid-day, outside, inside - how many lighting options are there?
Reflect back over my Instagram - which images are MY favourite? Which images are LIKED the most? Could I put 12 of these images together in a “feed” and would they look like they belonged all to one photographer? (Currently, I still can’t do this! lol)
Re-edit old photos. Go back through your archives, and see if there’s anything you could re-edit, just for fun.
Take a photography course.
Take a Lightroom course.
Take a photoshop course.
Buy other people’s presets, try them on my photo’s, and study what works and what doesn’t.
Learn about videography. There’s so much crossover, and it’s a different way to learn about your camera.
Watch YouTube’s on the topic of understanding your camera. Every button and setting, intimately.
Go to a street in my town that I never go down. What amazing things could be waiting there to be photographed? (Even small towns have back roads you’ve probably never been down!)
Pick your favourite photographer and try to replicate one of your favourite images. A lot of photographers I follow often post either YouTubes, or before and after’s.
I think this one goes without saying - but if you haven’t already - switch to MANUAL MODE and take control over your camera!
Contact a photographer in your area that may need a second shooter (you can find lots of people either just by calling / messaging them, or join a local photography Facebook group).
Join your local Photography Club.
Take your camera along to family gatherings - just get used to having it on you, and reacting to what’s happening around you. You don’t need to promise anything - just keep shooting and tell people that you’re practicing, and if you get anything good, you’ll email them a copy!
Enter photography competitions.
Ask for genuine feedback from friends and family (if you trust them!) and facebook groups often offer the ability to request feedback.
Pick a time every day, and take a photo at that same time each day. Challenge yourself to get a slightly different photo every day. Maybe it’s at your office, or out your window. Maybe it’s around the farm. Maybe it’s just what you’re having for dinner, or lunch, or a snack. Get creative.
Use different lenses and focal lengths. If you love your 50mm, challenge yourself to go out one day and only use your 70-200. Lock in a focal length and see what you can do with it!
Pick a subject, and change your shutter speed on it. How does it change from 1/2000th of a second to 2 seconds?
Pick a subject, and change your F stop. What’s the difference between 1.8 and 16?
Go out at night, and see how far you can push your ISO!
Go out at night, and try to take photo’s only using street or shop lights.
Try to take self portraits. This alone could make a dramatic difference in your photography!!
Go somewhere with a model or subject that’s all concrete. Then the same subject where it’s all grass. Or all beach. Or all bush. How do the colours work together?
Borrow friends children. See if you can wrangle them and get some decent images! lol
Make a dice list - 1 to 6. On one dice assign them colours. On another dice, assign a subject. On another dice, assign lighting conditions! - Get creative with your ideas!
Go grab your old camera - y’know, the one in the back of the drawer from 10 years ago? Go and take some photo’s with that, and see what you can create!
Learn the “rules” of photography, and see if you can go and get 20 photo’s that fall into each category. You don’t have to always follow them, just know that you CAN do it if you need to.
Take photo’s of weird things. Try to make them look “pretty”.
Take photo’s of anything around your house, make it look like you’re trying to sell it as a product.
Limit yourself. One focal length. One apeture. One shutter speed. One angle. One lighting situation. Create limitations, and then find work arounds.

So that’s my list. 40 ways to get 1% better at your photography.

I think I’ll keep adding to it - but it’s a good list to start with tonight. ;) I hope it gives you some inspiration, in the way that I feel inspired by coming up with it. :)

xx

Tracy