The Importance of Learning New Skills as a Photographer
- Learning New Techniques
- HDR is Now a Basic Technique
- Spherical Panoramas and Virtual Tours
- Drones and Action Cams
- Multiple Remote Flash Units
- New Trends in Real Estate Photography
- New Trends in Wedding Photography
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.”
That’s a quote from one of the most successful entrepreneurs in modern history, Henry Ford. What it means is that you can always learn something new. This is especially true in photography.
Digital photography gives photographers many ways to keep on learning new things. Some new things will involve learning a new process or technique, some are centered on learning how to use new equipment, while others require us to adjust to new trends and needs in the marketplace.
Table of Contents
Learning New Techniques
Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash
As a digital photographer, you have seen new techniques come around and go around. Photography continues to change and evolve. We can either sit still or keep up.
Not every technique is going to be worth learning to you. Let’s face it, we don’t need to know everything. Besides, if we tried to do everything in photography, we wouldn’t have any time left for our basics.
Therefore, you should do some vetting when considering what to put your valuable time and effort towards.
HDR is Now a Basic Technique
Photo by Federico Beccari on Unsplash
Bold statement. I should point out that I’m not speaking of that strange, unnatural special effect that shows up in photo magazines. Yes, that is one of the results available with HDR, but it’s actually on the extreme end of the spectrum for this technique.
Many digital photographers are engaging in HDR photography in a more subtle way. A way I employ it is simply to shoot in RAW, and use the depth of exposure in the image files to bring out shadow and highlight detail.
HDR photography is a widely used technique for real estate and product photography. It is one of the essential techniques in real estate photography for twilight images.
It’s also an essential tool for interior real estate photos.
Think about it…
photo by alvarez via iStock
By shooting HDR, you can overcome the wide dynamic range in interior spaces (the very bright windows and the much darker shadows throughout the room, for example) and create images like the one shown above, which is well-exposed throughout.
This tutorial walks you through a simple HDR technique for real estate interiors that will get you much-improved shots in less time. Who doesn’t want that?!
Spherical Panoramas and Virtual Tours
One of the other new techniques made possible by advances in digital photography is creating panoramas and posting interactive tours online. This technique has revolutionized the online brochures of hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.
Interactive photo tours of real estate for sale is now an expected basic sales tool for listing properties. Fisheye lenses, nodal mounts, GUI and other stitching programs, all have to be mastered for the best results. But those results are an amazing interactive sales tool for realtors besides being a lot of fun in general.
Drones and Action Cams
Photo by david henrichs on Unsplash
This falls under the categories of learning new equipment and learning new techniques together. We’ll concentrate on the new equipment aspect of drones.
Using a drone and any camera mounted to it requires learning a new set of skills. In addition to the basics of good photography, you also need to learn how to pilot the drone. Some drones have cameras built in, others have mounts for action cams or larger cameras.
Drones have become a great tool for real estate photographers and for vloggers. A real estate photographer can now show prospective clients a special view of the property. Previously, this was only available to photographers able to finagle a flight from a small craft pilot or be willing to balance their expensive equipment on top of a long pole.
There are regulations involved concerning drone use. But, that’s part of the learning curve, too. Getting the proper license requires some study and effort, but it’s worth it in order to benefit from this advance in technology.
Multiple Remote Flash Units
Photo by Tom Pumford on Unsplash
Some of us remember those days (not too long ago) when balancing the exposure settings for multiple flash units or strobes required a degree in advanced mathematics. Well, that’s what it felt like anyways.
And cords were everywhere. Cords for each individual strobe head, cords to connect the camera to the strobe for synchronizing with the shutter release, a cable of some type to release the camera, and power cords, too.
Current technology allows for wireless camera release, wireless synchronization, and wireless control of exposure and flash intensity. Much of it is automated to a degree. However, now you have to learn how to use all the features and what controls are vital to master.
Yes, it’s much easier than before, but it still requires learning a new set of skills. The advantage is clearly seen in the end results for wedding photographers, fashion photographers and others.
New Trends in Real Estate Photography
Photo by Vita Vilcina on Unsplash
Digital photography was incorporated into realtor tools pretty much as soon as it was developed. Add in the firmly entrenched modern phenomena of the world wide web, internet, and social media platforms, and you have the perfect sales tool for these major investments.
In order to be a part, a paid part, of these new trends in real estate photography, some of us would benefit from guided training by established experts.
You could try to learn it all by trial and error and reading everything you can find, but a training course taught by credentialed professionals, such as the folks at Real Estate Photographer Pro is a smart investment.
Because this course is a comprehensive look at all things real estate, even if you have zero experience as a real estate photographer, you can come away from the course confident in your skills.
And that’s speaking of skills related to taking high-quality photos and running a business.
Because the course was developed by professional real estate photographers, you get real-world tips on how to improve your images, how to market your business, how to communicate with clients and so forth. It truly is a one-stop-shop for real estate photography tips.
Plus, you get lifetime access to the course and even direct access to the course’s instructor and the school’s founder, Eli Jones.
What better way to learn new skills as a photographer than from learning from the pros, right?!
Learn More:
New Trends in Wedding Photography
Photo by Gianni Scognamiglio on Unsplash
As with real estate, weddings are a market with people willing to pay fair prices for a professional with outstanding skills. Also similar to real estate photography, wedding photography trends are taking full advantage of the new techniques and technologies.
There are online courses you can enroll in to increase your skill set here, too. Another great alternative is to hire on with an established wedding photographer as a second shooter or assistant.
Weddings can be one of the most stressful types of event photography. People expect beauty, perfection, and creativity. Plus, if you mess up, there is no reshoot! For those that love the challenge of superb wedding photography, many will tell you that learning as an assistant or second shooter was one of the keys to their current success.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
We end with another quote from a famous person, this time Confucius. How it applies to photography is that we are involved in a craft that is also an art. An artform that is also a marketable craft.
In both arts and crafts, you could sit back and rest on your laurels. However, choosing to learn new skills, to expand your art and craft, to engage in new business, is a whole lot more fun!
Few of us are counted as the pioneers of new techniques, equipment use, or market trends, but we can all make sure to take full advantage of these new things. All it takes is a little effort and maybe some education, too.