The internet is full of advice on how to take better photos. And while I completely agree that the key to good photography lies in a well-thought-out frame, strong composition, a clear subject, good lighting, correct camera settings, and other technical aspects - there is one particular factor that is often overlooked.

Best photography advice you can get

The one true, ultimate key to improving your photography is… taking photos.

Taking photos anytime and anywhere.

Taking photos before work, during work, after work, in your free time, at home, in the morning, in the evening, during the day, at night. Snapping and shooting slow pace. Taking photos with a phone, a digital or film camera. Taking photos of people, objects, food, animals. Taking shitty photos.

And the most important way to take better photos is to take them for pleasure.

No matter how much I am motivated by the idea that photography could one day sustain my living, I will always say this - the most important motivation is enjoyment.

No pain, no…

But don’t get me wrong.

Waking up at 4 am to catch a sunrise 150 km away brings me absolutely no joy. It’s a torture. I hate doing it. Every time, I go through the same mental battle: “Why are you even doing this?” versus “You know exactly why.”
And sometimes, I lose that battle.

But every single time I win - when I’m finally there, camera in hand, awake enough to function - I know the why.
For the pleasure of doing it.

Those few seconds, sometimes longer, when I find the perfect frame, adjust my position, search for the right angle, fine-tune the settings, hold my breath, press the shutter, and—bam! Got it!
That’s a dopamine hit no morning social media scroll has ever given me.

It makes my entire day.

Maybe that’s why I enjoy shooting in the morning the most - despite hating it the most. Those early-morning battles to stay in bed, when I least feel like getting up, often turn out to be the most rewarding.
Statistically, that’s when I come back home with my most interesting shots.

How one photo a day can elevate your skillset

A few days ago, the first quarter of the year ended - the year in which I promised myself to take photos every single day.
For over 90 days now, I haven’t missed a single one. Even if it was just one photo (and yes, there were days like that). And yes, there were days when all pictures were a complete crap.

But eventually, I started noticing the effects of this experiment within the first few weeks.

At the beginning of the year, sticking to my resolution and taking photos that genuinely brought me joy was incredibly difficult. The days were short, meaning finding good light required effort - and sometimes, frustration.

But I quickly found a way through, and with each passing day, it became easier.

In the first weeks, I was hyper-aware of the fact that I had to take at least one photo daily.
Nowadays, it’s my second nature - I don’t even think about it. I take my camera almost everywhere. I go out to shoot more often than ever.

With more photos to process, I’ve also become much faster in Lightroom. Editing takes me far less time than it used to, but also more pleasure and desired results.

One picture a day keeps the…

Despite my natural skepticism, I have to admit - three months of consistent shooting have improved my skills on multiple levels.

I understood, there are no shortcuts in photography. If you really want to take better photos, take them. Take a lot of them.
And to take a lot of them, consistently, you have to love it. When you do, you’ll always find the time to press that shutter.

Just don’t fall into the trap of telling yourself that right now you don’t have the time or space for photography. That once you sort this or that out, then you’ll take it seriously.
The world is divided into those who say that - and those who just do it.

I don’t need to tell you which ones end up feeling like winners.

So get out there and shoot. You will thank yourself later.

Thanks for reading.

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Best photography advice