You have to practise to learn

Monday 26 January 2026, 20:20 by Nando Harmsen | 1,819 views | 2 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Photography is fun to do. Especially when you also get great results. But that doesn't happen by itself. You have to put in some work. The secret is practice. Lots of practice.

Sometimes people forget that you also have to practise a lot to get good at photography. It's more than learning how to set the exposure, or what each button on your camera does. You have to do it a lot.

A successful photo. That doesn't happen by itself. A lot of practice went into it.
It's good to learn how a camera works, or how to set and read the exposure. It's good to know how a photo can best be edited. But none of that is a guarantee of a good photo.

Sometimes I hear about the frustrations that arise when someone isn't happy with the result. That doesn't necessarily mean that person is a beginner. They may have started exploring a new form of photography and not be proficient at it yet.

I think this one failed. Now comes the question: why? What should I do better next time?
It's just like any other hobby. You can't suddenly draw, or paint, or sculpt, or make clothes. You have to learn the techniques, and then practise a lot. And you have to make mistakes in order to learn from them.

Photography is no different. You have to go out with your camera. Not to take random photos, but to practise a particular type of photography. Spend long afternoons lying on your stomach for macro photography, or in one place practising panning.

The point isn't to take perfect photos, but to master the techniques. To learn what works and what doesn't. And who knows, you might get a really successful photo.

Do it, do it a lot. That's the trick. A good photo doesn't come by itself. Never forget that.It will go wrong more often, like with this photo.
If you think you learn photography from a book or a YouTube video, you're wrong. It only lifts the tip of the veil. You then have to do it yourself. It's almost certain that you won't get it right straight away.

Failed again. That can be frustrating. But how can you improve at photography if you don't learn from photos like these? Lots of practice and learning from your mistakes is the secret.
Don't get frustrated if you don't get it right straight away. You shouldn't expect to get it right straight away either. You'll only learn by doing it a lot. The more often you do it, the better you'll get. Never throw away your failures.

Keep looking carefully at the failed photos every time. Keep asking yourself the following questions: Why did it go wrong? What should I pay attention to next time? Should I set the camera differently? That's the only way you'll get better at photography.

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