The Art of the Photo Adventure

How do you become a better photographer? Learn how to use manual settings. How do you learn the manual settings? Education and practice.

Let’s talk about practice today. Going on a photo adventure is a good excuse to explore and a great way to practice. Whether you live in a city, in the mountains or in the middle of farmland, there is something to photograph.

Step 1: Plan a destination

This is not necessarily the kind of destination that requires a plane ride, but a local destination. When I lived in Chicago, I would often go into the Loop (the center of the city) with my camera. There were a lot of popular spots to take photos of certain landmarks or cityscapes that were well-known among photographers. Some of them were adventures in themselves, slipping through alleys, remembering the right floor of a parking garage, or holding your camera over the edge of a balcony to get the shot.

Step 2: Phone a Friend

It is safer and more fun to explore with friends. The person/people could be the subject of your photos, a fellow photographer that inspires you, or just a friend who wants to hang out. Sometimes, local groups of new photographers will host meet-ups or photo walks. I have learned so much about photography by wandering the city with other photographers and asking questions.

Step 3: Let Yourself Wander

Remember when I said in step 1 to go to a certain destination for photos? Forget that. You’ll wind up getting the same photo as everyone else. While this is great for practicing technical camera settings, it does not develop your eye or exercise the creative muscles. Instead, use the destination as only a destination and look for photos along the way. You’ll begin to notice the leading lines or reflecting light or interesting people around you. If you see something that catches your eye, let yourself stop and photograph it five different ways before getting back to your initial route.

Rinse and repeat. Keep taking your camera on photo adventures, keep experimenting with different settings and techniques, and keep meeting other photographers. By doing this, your photography will quickly improve.

Here are some photos from random adventures: