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What Makes a Good Photographer?

If you’ve ever picked up a camera and wondered what it takes to be a great photographer, you’re in the right spot. It’s not just about having the latest gear or taking random shots, it’s about blending technical know-how with creativity, patience, and a real passion for the art – and it is an art. So, what makes a good photographer? Let me break it down for you.
First off, technical skills are helpful, but not essential – you’re never too old to learn. You don’t have to be an expert right away. No one is. Knowing how your camera works – like exposure, which is a combination of aperture, shutter speed and ISO – helps you create the shots you want, but starting off with an auto setting can deliver amazing results also.

Next, there’s composition. A good photographer knows how to frame a shot in a way that makes it pop. Things like the “rule of thirds”, leading lines, and symmetry can make a world of difference. Moreover, sometimes ignoring all of the normal rules of composition works equally well. It is all about drawing the viewer’s eye where you want it to go, while keeping things visually interesting.

Then there’s creativity. The more you photograph, the more creative you become. You don’t want to just capture the world around you, you want to tell a story or capture a feeling…create context. A great photographer can see beauty in everyday moments, by using fresh angles and new ways to frame things. It’s about making the ordinary look extraordinary.

And then there’s attention to detail. It’s those little things—like making sure the lighting’s just right or xing that distracting background element—that can really elevate a photo. Remember, you’re making an image not just taking an image.

Of course, patience is key. Photography often means waiting for that perfect moment, whether it’s the right light, expression, or something unexpected. Sometimes you’ve got to hang around, try a few different things, and be okay with failing a few times before you get it just right. As a long term professional, the thing you learn is that for every ve great images – you going to need to take 250. In saying that, you’re still going to get 50-70 good ones too.
When it comes to working with people, communication is essential. If you’re capturing portraits or street photography, making your subject feel at ease will help bring out their best side, and it’ll show in the photos. Learning how to pose people is 90 percent of what I do (unless I’m working with models, they know exactly how to pose). Being able to pose someone without embarrassing them is the essential. And remember, everyone wants to be guided, because no one wants an awful image of themselves. There are loads of posing classes online, and after a while you’ll learn the poses for yourself and then you’ll notice the difference between good and bad.
Great photographers have to be consistent in their work. They’re reliable and produce high-quality shots over and over under any circumstance. Adaptability in photography changes quickly with new tech, trends, and techniques. A great photographer embraces these changes and keep experimenting.

Lastly, and most importantly, passion is what drives it all. If you love what you do, it’ll show in every shot you take. And trust me, the more you do it, the better you get. Passion keeps you motivated to improve, learn, and keep pushing boundaries. It’s actually a lot of fun.

Get out there, experiment, and keep having fun with it. You never know what amazing shot is just around the corner… even if you only get 10 great shots in your life, it’s still a great achievement.

When I rst started, it took me about a month to go from hobby photographer to full time professional – a switch icked in my head and I just decided to pay attention, and I mean really studied images I liked, and asked myself “why do I like this/why is this amazing”? The technical aspect comes along as you travel your path, trust me it makes sense pretty fast.

Here is a really basic image of my cat I had years ago. This was taken just using my phone’s camera – remember, it’s still a camera and the best camera is the one you have with you… take the shot. Everyone starts at the beginning. Photograph your pets, pose and capture you friends and family and play with the light – place them near a window, under a tree, in a doorway – practice, practice, practice and remember that taking a bad shot is just as important as taking a good shot, because you also learn what won’t work, so you won’t do it again… it’s all part of learning.
BTW: I really miss Oscar, but I’ll always have a good portrait of him…
cat on the wall

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