The Most Valuable Photography Learning Tool… And It Is Free

As a photographer, I am constantly learning.  Just because I’ve been shooting since 2001 doesn’t make me an “expert.”  In fact, I kind of hate when people market themselves that way when it comes to nearly anything, especially photography.

While I am skilled in certain areas of photography, there are others where I consider myself a novice.  For example, bird photography, which I decided to start learning this past summer.  I had never really photographed outdoor birds, but made a commitment to learn and practice.

The most important learning tool:

While practice is the number one important action you can do to improve your photography, the number one learning tool is the analysis of your camera data.  The small screen on a camera typically provides some info, but to take your photography to another level, spend time after every photo shoot — look at your ISO, speed and aperture.  If your photo was soft or out of focus, decide if you mis-focused, if your depth of field was too narrow, or if your shutter speed wasn’t high enough.

It’s easy to do – and next time you go out to practice and take pictures, you may stop and think, and then capture a better image. 

— Here’s where you can go to find your camera data and settings. —

Still stumped?

If you get your camera info and are stumped or not sure how to read the numbers — or what to do next, make sure to read posts on our blog about aperture, speed, and ISO.  And if you still need help, come join our photographer community on Facebook – where MCP customers help each other get better at photography and photo editing.