5 Tips for Honing Your Craft and Building Your Photography Skills by Drew Evans

Written by Drew Evans

If you could sit down and learn one thing tomorrow, what would it be?

I’d guess that a lot of photographers would probably skip anything photography-related. I’ll speak for myself and say that I’ve had plenty of moments where I didn’t think there was much else for me to learn. But that’s obviously far from the truth.

Maybe it’s the former educator in me, but I think keeping an open mind is a necessity, especially when it comes to honing your craft.

Here are a few ways you can challenge yourself and learn about photography, whether you’re a seasoned shooter or have just picked up a camera for the first time:

1. Shoot Without a Meter

While this one might not be applicable to all, this was a recent challenge for me.

For almost all of my photography “career” so far, I’ve relied on my in-camera meter. So much so that I intentionally sought out cameras that had meters when I started shooting film (likely why I ended up with a Leica M6 instead of an M2/M3). Especially coming from the digital world, where it’s just easier to shoot Aperture Priority and get on with your day.

But when I bought my first and only Hasselblad (I miss it dearly), there was no meter. In all honesty, I just guessed exposure when I ran my first few rolls.

Then, I learned the Sunny 16 rule, and wow, did it help.

Instead of constantly looking to see whether the exposure meter showed an up arrow or down arrow, I spent my time trusting my instincts. It took some testing (take lots of notes if you can), but I eventually got to a point where I could pretty reliably understand what settings to use depending on the time of day, weather, or location.

I’m far from perfect. But when I do go meter-less, I feel more in control of things. It’s counterintuitive, considering I have less information than I used to with a meter. But I feel like I’m better at exposing and composing what I want more than ever.

2. If You Can, Shoot Manual Only

I’m going to keep this section very short: stop relying on aperture priority on your electronic camera.

I’m not a manual-only purist, but I do think there’s a ton of value in having the skillset to shoot manually with any camera.

It’s easy to simply set your aperture and let the camera do the rest, but the more you can learn how to use your camera on your own, the less you’ll have to rely on the tool to create your art.

3. Try a New Lens

This isn’t novel advice by any means, but I think it can be forgotten a bit in today’s digital-first world.

When I bought my Leica M6, the person behind the counter asked whether I was planning on shooting 35mm or 50mm. I responded: “Why not both?”

I then learned all about the two camps, each believing that their focal length was the “ideal” focal length… but that’s another conversation.

I bought a 35mm and called it a day. I liked shooting on the wider side, so 35mm just made sense for me. And I loved it — walking around with one focal length was lightweight and without fear.

I knew what I would see when I put the viewfinder to my eye because there was only one option. My eyes slowly started to know what to expect.

But after a while, it got a little stale. The predictability put a drain on my desire to go shoot.

So when I met up with a friend of mine to shoot a few months later, I was beyond excited to try out his 28mm. A small difference, I thought, but it was a massive change. There was so much in frame to the point where I basically had to learn how to recompose every shot.

While I didn’t wind up sticking with 28mm for very long, it was a good reminder that even a simple focal length change can completely flip your world. It might be easy to take your whole kit out to shoot or grab your 24-70mm zoom lens.

For me, testing out 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm was a blast. I learned what focal lengths I love and found out which push me into new territories. I naturally started shooting different styles when I picked up the 75mm, like portraits or more compressed cityscapes, two things I had never shot before.

If you’re itching for something new, don’t buy a new camera quite yet. Rent a lens with a different focal length and test your strengths.

4. Look, Mimic, Build

There’s something to say here about imitation and flattery.

When I started shooting, I was told by plenty of people to find my own style. I’m here to tell you firsthand that it’s far easier said than done. I’ve been shooting for over 15 years at this point, and I still sometimes question whether I know my style of photography.

I will say, however, that I started trying to imitate other photographers that I saw online. It helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses, but more importantly, it helped me see what styles I gravitated towards.

Back in the day, I filled up notebooks with rough sketches of compositions I liked, then spent time walking around San Francisco trying to capture similar moments.

It wasn’t about recreating someone else’s moment. It was a chance to train myself how to look for composition and see if I couldn’t build on it. Or come up with a different take.

To be very clear, this advice is NOT meant to imply that you should measure yourself in any way against the work of others. Use it as a chance to learn not just what you like, but why you like it.

5. Stop Shooting Color Film

If you’re anything like me, you’ve gotten comfortable shooting in color. Everything is vibrant and bright. But aside from the obvious color that it adds to an image, you can create depth and compose images in new ways, all because color is present.

But that became a crutch for me. Knowing how Portra 400 and Fuji C200 render through my cameras was an easy way for me to get out, fire off some rolls, and more or less know what the results would look like. It’s trustworthy and reliable, but a crutch all the same.

Shooting only black and white was a huge change and a big learning experience for me. It really made me reconsider how much I actually knew about photography and gave me a push to keep learning. I struggled quite a bit in the early days because I couldn’t quite figure out how it worked.

I’ve followed some amazing photographers that have mastered black and white photography, and have saved hundreds of images that inspire me. Trying to recreate the light, contrast, and general compositions I’ve seen has been a serious challenge, but something that has reinvigorated my love for this hobby.

Thank you so much, Drew! Drew is a regular contributor here at Shoot It With Film, and you can check out his other articles here, such as 7 Tips for Recapturing Your Creativity and An Honest Review of the Contax T2.

You can also check out more of Drew’s work on his Instagram.

Leave your questions about improving your photography and film skills below in the comments!

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Drew Evans

Drew Evans is a cityscape and landscape film photographer and a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find his other articles here, such as Lecia M6 35mm Camera Review and 6 Tips for Buying and Shooting the Leica M6.

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