When I was sitting down to write this article I imagined that it would be impossible to actually discuss what a novice photographer needs to do to become an better photographer.  The steps that I am going to discuss to become a better photographer are not in-depth and will certainly not win you any awards but if you take just one step on becoming a better photographer and expand on it you should be able to make the leap from novice photographer to expert photographer.

1) Plan Your Composition: Before even picking up your camera decide what it is you want to photograph. Use the rule of thirds as a guide to help you imagine what it is that you want the viewer of your photograph to see. Think about the scene in terms of eye flow, where and when is the subject/s? Are there secondary subjects? How do these subjects fit onto the image plane? Planning your composition may seem like it will take time but once you incorporate it into all your photographs it will become second nature. It is harder to plan your composition during candid shots, but gets easier for studio shots as you can take as much time as you need.

2) Study your Subject: In photography and in art in general the subject is the most important thing. Do you think the Mona Lisa would have been the same without Mona Lisa? It is always important to understand: the composition and motivation of your subject before you can plan for an effective photograph.

3) Control Your Lighting: I have done a whole post discussing digital photograph lighting but thought I should mention lighting in general in this post on how to become an effective photographer. It is much easier to control lighting in a studio environment because you have everything available to help: lights, umbrellas, mist machines and anything else you can think of to control the light. It is harder to control light outside the studio, though still possible. Want to block sunlight? Use a black umbrella or if you don’t have that use black construction paper. Want to reflect light? Use a white umbrella. You can also use trees and other natural elements to help you control light so that you can take better pictures.

4) Know Your Equipment: Thanks to digital cameras we no longer have to worry about wasting film when practicing with our cameras. Memory sticks and memory cards in computers and digital cameras make it so that you can take 1000’s of practice shots to prepare for when you want to take your perfect photography. Go through your digital cameras manual and take a look at what the manufacture suggest for the settings. Tinker around with it and see what can be done to ensure you take the best photograph you can.

5) Learn The Zone System: Ansel Adam invented the zone system. The zone system involves breaking down the exposure range into 10 steps from Zone Zero which is pitch black to Zone Ten which is pure white. Each zone is equal to one F-Stop change in exposure. Having tonal separations in your image makes it seem full and complete. Take a look at any of Adams' images and you will be able to see the separation of the zones, indicating proper exposure and in the old days, film development. What makes his work special is being able to see the detail in the shadows and the highlights through meticulous application of the Zone System.

6) Learn about Color: If you are taking color pictures learn about color. The fact that color is not seen the same by any two people makes it even more complex than it already is. Understanding color will improve your photography skills but it takes time.

7)Capture the Moment: Photography is all about taking one moment in time and preserving It forever. Your photograph should be a representation of that moment that you were able to capture. Every subject, even a landscape, has the one right moment for the image exposure. In a landscape it could be a certain time of the day. In people it could be catching there reaction to an event, weather, or anything else.