How to Become the Best Photographer!

While writing this blog I have talked to a lot of people that love photography. They are passionate about it.  They   absolutely love photography, but they get frustrated because they compare themselves to other photographers. I have to admit that I am one of these people.  I see other photographers that just seem to outshine me and I want to be better. I want to be the best at what I do. However, at this point I am not. So, I keep trying. I keep learning.
So, here is the question I have been asked:  How do I become a better photographer?
There are a lot of answers to this question.  Here are my suggestions.

1. Read.  This is one of the most important things you can do as a photographer.  Go down the the local book store and buy some books on photography. Or even better, go to the library.  I heard somewhere that if you read 20 books on a subject it is considered as having a masters degree in the subject. So, get your masters in photography without having to go to a School and pay for it!

2.  Look at other photographs.
I love to look at others photographs.  With the internet at your fingertips you can spend hours looking at photos.  When you see a photo you like, try to figure out how they did it.  Look at the pose( if it is a portrait), of look at the direction of the lighting.  Figure out what time of day it was shot at. Then try to duplicate it.
Join www.flickr.com . There are millions of photos to look at!

3.  Go out and shoot.
I once met a pro photographer who shot a minimum of 36 shots a day(One role of film, does this date me?)
His idea was to get as much practice as he could because it does take practice to become a great photographer.

4. Be patient.
This is the frustrating part.  It takes time and a lot of practice and a lot of learning to get great at anything.  Don't expect to become great overnight.

Hopefully this helps answer those questions that I have been asked.  I can think of a few more, like going to school, classes, joining organizations, but those cost more money. If you can think of others please leave comments so others can benefit from them. Thanks, Brian.