A photo can capture what’s in front of the lens, and sometimes it still looks bland or flat. The answer is light. Light creates contrast, depth, and atmosphere, but when we start photography we tend to forget about it while pressing camera buttons. So, before you think about the camera settings, observe the light. Try to see how light comes through the window and creates shadows on the wall or how the sun moves across the pavement in the late afternoon. The faster you teach yourself to notice light, the sooner you will improve your photos.
To speed up this process, here’s a simple exercise that you can do. Pick any object you have at home with some texture (a cup, a book, a plant), put it by the window, and take three photos of this object at different times of the day. In the morning the light is soft and scattered. At noon it might be too harsh. And in the late afternoon it stretches the shadows. Then, open your photos side by side and pay attention to how shadows help to outline the object. This habit will teach you to pay attention to the light before you even lift your camera.
One of the most common mistakes is shooting in the direction of the light. If you look straight at the light source, the object in front of you will be too dark if you don’t adjust the exposure settings accordingly. Some people think that there’s something wrong with the camera, but in fact the problem is with the direction of the light. Instead of shooting towards the light, step aside so the light falls on the object. Sometimes just a couple of steps to the left or to the right can show you details and textures that you couldn’t see before.
It’s not the amount of time that matters, but the regularity. You can achieve great results practicing with your camera for just 15 minutes a day as long as you do it regularly and focus your attention on observing. Spend three minutes walking around your kitchen or the street near your home and stop whenever you notice some interesting light and shadow interplay. Shoot the same object from different perspectives rather than trying to find as many new subjects as possible. Later, when you compare these photos, you will notice how a few steps to the left or to the right dramatically change your photo.
The moment when you start making progress in photography is when you stop thinking about your camera and start thinking about how you see the world. Light, shadow, and direction play roles in your every photo long before you edit it. The more regularly you practice, the more you will notice the structure and the atmosphere of the scenes you are used to seeing every day. Eventually you will stop thinking about the camera and will start using it to register things you have already spotted with your eyes.