As photographers, we are all on a journey… a journey to become better than we were yesterday, but not as awesome as we will be tomorrow! If you could look at how far I’ve come since I started my professional career in 2008, I promise you would be surprised! In fact, when I showed Eric some of the photos I took a few years ago, he was in complete shock and couldn’t believe how bad they were (gotta love the bluntness of husbands 😉 ).

Look At How Far I’ve Come

I got inspired to write this post after seeing a blog over on The Snap Society which showcased the same idea (taking a look at how far I’ve come since starting, compared to what I do now), and I wanted to share some of my photos with you where I can see now that there is a bit of work that could have been done to improve the image!

Exhibit A

This is the very first wedding I ever did, way back in 2009! Amy is a gorgeous woman, but there are definitely things I could have done here to improve the image and flatter her a bit more (such as turn her slightly towards/away from the the camera so that she doesn’t appear wider than she is). The lighting is also off, making it hard to see her beautiful mug, I could have used a reflector to bounce light onto her face and fill it in a bit more.

Compared to Now

Nice even lighting on the bride’s face (who also happened to be Amy’s wedding party!), I really cropped in to focus on the feeling of glamour and romance in this image! The background is soft and adds a touch of color without taking over the image, keeping your attention on Meghan’s face.

Exhibit B

The focus could have been stronger, the couple isn’t as tack sharp as I’d like them to be. The lighting is off again (we were in the same space as before), and the whole image is tilting a bit to the left. Aside from all the technical issues, there isn’t really a connection between the couple. They’re standing there awkwardly wondering “what do I do with my hands?!”

Compared to Now

The first thing that strikes me is the fact that in this image it appears as if we’ve stumbled upon a private moment between the bride and groom. There’s a sense of intimacy, and all the hands have a place to rest. The colors are bright and vibrant in this photo, but because the couple is the sharpest thing, your eyes lock right onto them!

What Helped Improve My Photography?

Honestly, it was making a LOT of mistakes, and still being willing to go back out there and try again. Investing in education is ABSOLUTELY imperative to success, but it’s also just getting out there to practice, practice, practice.

Remember, practice doesn’t make perfect.
Perfect practice makes perfect.