When you think about improving your photography, you might picture buying new gear or chasing perfect light. But some of the biggest improvements come from small adjustments to technique and mindset. Addressing these common challenges can not only improve your photos but also make the process more enjoyable.
Coming to you from Ian Worth, this educational video explores key issues many photographers face, starting with camera settings. Worth suggests that while technical skills like mastering the exposure triangle are essential, they aren’t the most critical aspect of photography. He highlights the importance of knowing what you want from a shot, urging you to prioritize creative vision over technical perfection. For instance, understanding how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together is important, but it’s even more critical to decide what kind of story you want to tell with the image. These choices allow you to work efficiently and focus on capturing fleeting moments rather than getting stuck adjusting settings.
Light is another crucial topic Worth emphasizes. He describes it as a never-ending learning process that can dramatically affect your images. While many photographers recommend shooting during golden hour, Worth encourages you to experiment with different lighting conditions. He shares examples of how flat, overcast light can improve minimalist compositions or how soft post-sunset light can bring out the textures in a landscape. Understanding how light interacts with your subject and the environment can help you find opportunities even in seemingly unfavorable conditions. This approach opens up more possibilities and keeps you inspired to shoot regardless of the time of day or weather.
Composition is another area Worth stresses. Instead of rigidly adhering to rules like the rule of thirds, he recommends treating them as tools to enhance your message. In some cases, breaking these rules can create a stronger visual impact. For example, central placement of a subject or cropping to remove distractions can draw attention to the most important elements in your image. Evaluating your photos critically after a shoot can reveal ways to improve your compositions. Adjusting elements like the crop or considering how different lighting conditions might enhance the scene can lead to better results over time. This reflective practice builds your skills and prepares you for similar opportunities in the future.
Sharpness, a common concern, often comes down to technique rather than gear. Worth explains how issues like diffraction at small apertures or motion blur from slow shutter speeds can be avoided by understanding your camera’s limitations. Testing your gear and adapting to conditions—whether it’s a windy day or a high-resolution sensor—can make a big difference. He also touches on the importance of simplifying your setup. Carrying less gear reduces fatigue and decision-making, allowing you to focus on creating impactful images. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Worth.
It takes all sorts I suppose. My advice to beginners is to look at quality visuals whatever they are and not just photography. I visited the annual Turner watercolour exhibition yesterday, they are only shown in January, and was blown away by the shear visual quality. Understanding what makes an image work is key to becoming a good photographer. Keeping your head in a paper bag and not looking at other people’s work is in my opinion not the way to go.
I'm a photographer of 40 years. Not that that makes me right or wrong, just to say I'm not a newbie at the hobby. I have always looked at as many photos as I can. Exhibitions, magazines books in the old days and now, in my 80s and unable to get out much, on the computer. I like to look at peoples work and think what I would do in their place behind the lens. Ian Worth does work worth a good look in my book.
You can never stop learning. Good on you though, if you have got it so nailed.
Ken
This video is a pretty good general review without jumping too deep into any one subject. Since he mentions light in landscape, the best light for grand landscape photography, in my opinion, is when clouds are swirling around enough to use them to isolate the subject from the background. Sort of like manipulating a studio light source, but without having direct control. Light and camera position can be used together to separate the main subject from secondary elements. Light can create layers and contour in a composition, which creates depth, which gives the photograph a three-dimensional appearance.
I think you have touched on the main danger in landscape photography. The grand vista. Having witnessed the decline in landscape photography over recent years I think one of the main reasons is people expect that just pointing a camera at a grand inspiring view is enough. It’s not. When they eventually work that out and realise that producing a great landscape image takes much more effort such as an understanding of composition and what makes an image work aesthetically, they step away from the genre. While the image you posted is of a very interesting rock formation, is it a good landscape image or just a photo of what you seen? A great landscape does not automatically make for a great landscape photo. In your case and purely in my opinion as you posted the image, the image has several compositional problems working against it. Separating the emotion that you experience at the time when looking at a great vista and then seeing beyond that for the photographic potential then working out a composition that delivers is a challenge. It’s why landscape photography is so difficult and about so much more that snapping what might be a good view.
I think the hardest part of landscape photography is working out a composition that delivers .
"I think you have touched on the main danger in landscape photography."
Well, I'm glad I finally contributed something worthwhile, even if merely serving as a bad example.
"In your case and purely in my opinion as you posted the image, the image has several compositional problems working against it."
Such as? It would be more helpful if you would be specific as to what you feel are the compositional problems in this photo, rather than simply speak in generalities.
Excellent video. I particularly like the line “trusting your eye”. While rules are fine up to a point learning the art of composition to help train your eye is a great way to go. How do you train your eye so you can trust it? One way is to look and study great examples of both art and photography and begin to understand what it is that makes an image work. A good example from the video is how Ian trusted his eye and framed out an area of sky with no interest rather than blindly follow the rule of thirds. Having an evaluation stage in your workflow is another gem to take away from this. Being self critical or even better showing your images to a small group of trusted friends for comment and feedback is also very useful. I also liked some of the early shots in the video that for me demonstrated Ian has developed not only an eye he can trust but has developed a very subtle processing workflow.
This article is packed with practical advice! I love the focus on refining technique and mindset over chasing new gear. Worth’s emphasis on creative vision and experimenting with light really resonates—seeing potential in different lighting conditions keeps photography exciting. The reminder to treat composition rules as flexible tools is also key; sometimes breaking them creates the strongest impact.
Simplifying your setup to focus on the shot instead of the gear is such a valuable tip. Overall, this is a great resource for photographers looking to solve common challenges and elevate their work. Thanks for sharing!
Paul Tocatlian
Kisau Photography
www.kisau.com