A new year is here and with that comes new goals for yourself, your business and everything else in your life! We wanted to help you get your photography off to the best start that you can this year so today we are telling you about 5 ways to improve your photography this year.

Whether you just love taking photos as a hobby or it is your profession, we hope these 5 tips help you get your photography off on the right foot in 2016!

1. Review past work.

Did you have some really amazing family photo sessions last year? Maybe you have photos from one wedding that were better than all the others. Did you scope out some really cool new landscapes in some new areas you have never been? Think about what made those photos as wonderful as they were and try to do more of that this year.

At the same time, what photos did not turn out the way you had hoped? What skills or techniques did you need to use when taking those specific photographs? Perhaps you can use that and study those skills and techniques to better yourself in the coming year.

2. Focus on a specialty.

Are you a new photographer and find yourself taking photos of whatever your Clients need? It is important for your business to really try and nail down a specialty you want to focus on. Of course you can always photograph other things, but having that focus is key to improving and marketing yourself to others. Do you really love the passion between a bride and groom on their wedding day? Focus on wedding photography. If you really prefer and love the work you do with still objects outdoors, focus on landscape photography. Your specialty is totally up to you and all depends on what your passion is.

3. Plan out goals.

What goals do you want to accomplish in the coming year? Do you want to book a certain amount of weddings or portrait sessions or maybe you want to work to have your work published nationally? Whatever your goals are should be within reason but hard enough that you have work to meet those goals.

4. Get yourself organized now.

Start getting organized now. For many, that is just a continuance from your business last year, but being organized is essential for any photographer. Make sure you have a great place to keep track of any photo sessions you have and meetings with potential clients. It is even important for you to be sure to schedule time to check emails daily, keep up with social media for your business and edit photos.

Being organized may take time and a bit of work to do. Having a great day-by-day planner you carry around, or even by using the calendar on your phone is a great way to have reminders written down so you always know what you should be doing. You will find that the more organized you are, the more work you will get done if you stay consistent.

5. Take photos... lots of photos!

Take photos all the time. Keep practicing and perfecting your craft. Just like with anything else, the more photos you take, the better you will become. Even if you are a wedding photographer, get out and explore new ways to take photos or scope out a new engagement session location that you have never been to and see what it looks like in photos. If you do photography as a hobby, carry your camera with you even if you are not planning on photographing something. You never know what you can find when you are not looking!

6. Continue to learn.

No matter if you are a professional photographer who has been in business for 25 years or you are just starting out and just learning how to use your camera, always continue to learn. Read blogs or photography books, take classes, talk with other photographers and learn what they do. Whether you want to learn about your camera itself, techniques you use, or even learn more about different programs you can use for editing your work, he industry is always changing and growing and learning is essential.

If learning is something that you want to be sure to do this year, we have tons of great guides you can easily buy and download about so many aspects of photography. The Beginners Guide To Lighting is just one of the many guides you can choose from.

In The Beginner's Guide To Lighting, you will learn everything you need to know about lighting including aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The guide is $29.99 (regularly $299.99).

PURCHASE THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO LIGHTING NOW!

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