To be a creative photographer you will have to be in the right place at the right time
• ‘F/8 and be there’ iconic recipe to get the shot
• Think ahead and research your subject of photography or filming
• Have the discipline to shoot every day
• Know your photography equipment well and be comfortable using it creatively
• Return to photograph places that interest you or the subject, landmarks, and situations
• When traveling overseas or in remote and unfamiliar areas in your own country, use an expert guide or a fixer – a professional local guide who knows the area and people and can get you closer to your desired photography subject
• Join destination workshops and tours guided by professional photographers overseas
• If you have or know someone with access to a special place, try to seek permission to photograph places such as a prison, circus, concert or a hospital.
•Always remember that exotic places aren’t exotic to those who live in them and your place of living is special to someone else on the other side of the world, so shoot your local life and family.
•Be invisible. When shooting in the street or public places
• Blend in, Dress in discreet clothing and look like the locals
• Keep the camera out of sigh
• Pretend that you shoot something or someone else • Don’t make eye contact with your subject
• Don’t shoot through the viewfinder, use the flipped screen and if you don’t have one, shoot without looking while the camera is on your lap or a stationary object
•Don’t be afraid to ask a stranger permission to photograph him or his family, he might agree!
•Get close to your subject and use more often your wide angle lens.
•Study your subject – be it an animal or famous landmark, a person or event to capture the essence of the subject you will first need to understand it. For example, If you need to shoot a sailing race, learn sailing If you are passionate about wildlife, learn about the behavior of the animals you want to photograph.
•Be original. Choose a subject that has not been photographed by many and find an original way to capture that subject that brings out its essence.
•Try to tell a story in every image you take.
•Sometimes when the only model around is yourself, take self-portraits with the scenery to show human scale in a place or landscape.
•Don’t click the shutter if you see something you have seen before.