Initially I wrote back with a bit of a long reply to someone who kindly wrote to ask whether a switch from cropped sensor to full frame would make a substantial difference in their photography. I got a little carried away and included a few other tips about my own personal journey in photography. Tips which I thought I might as well share here. The first and most important tip, join a photography focused social network like Flickr and begin posting and commenting on other people’s photos and ask for tips. Find photographers on those networks whose work you admire and aspire to. Try to mimic their work, set a goal for yourself to try and come close to what they are producing. The journey to that goal is what will begin to shape your own style.

I learn everything from my peers. Through Flickr I have met countless photographers over a drink and learned invaluable ideas and techniques from them which I apply to my art. Photography is as much a social activity for me, as it is also a solitary activity. Travel to places where your favorite photographers reside, don’t be shy, contact them and invite them to hang out over a drink. Traveling, meeting other photographers, and participating in an online photography community are the three activities which form the base of my own learning process. New equipment is no replacement for life experiences which shape the way we think and perceive our environment.