Share Your Gains
So you are now familiar with your camera, you know the basic rules of good photography, you have utilized the golden hours of the day to take your pictures, you have explored different perspectives to take your picture and you have performed table-top magic on your shots…. Where to go next?
I find it particularly rewarding to share the pictures that I take with many others, so as to exchange opinions, ideas and critiques on how to take even better shots. Better still, take part in photographic competitions and contests!
“Autumn’s Peace” – This particular picture earned a “Highly Commended Award” at the UOB Painting of the Year Competition 2003, which encouraged me to take my photography further, culminating in my qualification for the ARPS distinction.
The Internet has made it very much easier these days to share your works, even with people you have not met before. Popular photo-critique sites abound, of which I am an active participant of many, such as PhotoSIG, Photo.net, and the Digital Imaging Group of the Royal Photographic Society’s Folio pages.
Popular local Singaporean digital photography forums such as Clubsnap and Offstone also provide free forums for many people to share their works.
Of course, you can even set up your own homepage to feature your own works just as I have done! And with easy-to-use webpage tools such as Microsoft Frontpage and the numerous free web-hosting services on the web such as those from Yahoo and Tripod , setting up a web-gallery isn’t as much difficult as it used to be.Putting up your pictures for critique does involve growing a thick skin sometimes 🙂 Not all will agree that the pictures you took or the comments and critique that you give. Art is subjective unfortunately and there is no clear right or wrong about many aspects of it.
Negative criticism can be demoralising, but if you are willing to look beyond the criticism and see ways to improve your photography, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Until then, continue to shoot and share your pictures!
Previous tip: Perform Table Top Magic