“Photography is not about having a creative mind. It is about developing an observant eye. The camera records what you point it at, but great photographs begin long before the shutter is pressed. They begin the moment you learn to truly see.” – MJ Martin
Introduction
Many people believe that great photography is reserved for artists who possess a mysterious gift called creativity. That belief is both common and incorrect. The vast majority of outstanding photographs are not the result of spontaneous inspiration. They are the result of observation, preparation, technical knowledge, and repetition. Creativity certainly has value, but discipline often produces more consistently excellent images than inspiration alone.
Photography is much like learning to play golf or a musical instrument. The beginner imagines that success depends on talent. The experienced practitioner knows that success comes from mastering fundamentals until they become second nature. A camera is simply a precision tool. The photographer is the one who decides what deserves attention.
Learn to See Before You Press the Shutter
The greatest improvement most photographers can make has nothing to do with buying a better camera. It comes from slowing down.
Instead of asking, “What should I photograph?” ask, “Why does this scene interest me?” Every successful image has a subject. If the viewer cannot immediately identify the subject, the photograph usually becomes confusing.
Imagine standing in a crowded room while trying to listen to one conversation. Your brain naturally filters distractions and focuses on the speaker. A strong photograph works the same way. It guides the viewer’s eye directly toward what matters.
Professional photographers often spend far more time studying a scene than actually taking the picture. The camera records only what the photographer has already learned to notice.
Master the Fundamentals
Technical knowledge reduces uncertainty. Exposure, composition, focus, colour, and timing are not artistic mysteries. They are practical skills that can be learned by anyone.
Understanding light is especially important. Photography literally means “drawing with light.” Soft morning and evening light often produces more pleasing images because shadows become gentle and colours appear richer. Harsh midday sunlight can create excessive contrast that hides important detail.
Composition follows similar principles. Techniques such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, symmetry, and careful background selection help organize visual information so that viewers instinctively understand the image. Research in visual perception shows that viewers naturally follow contrast, colour, faces, and directional lines when exploring an image, making composition a predictable science rather than random artistry. (Arnheim, Art and Visual Perception; Langford’s Basic Photography).
Develop a Repeatable Process
Professional photographers rarely rely on luck. Instead, they develop checklists.
Before pressing the shutter they evaluate the light, simplify the background, confirm focus, examine the edges of the frame, verify exposure, and wait for the decisive moment.
Commercial aviation provides an excellent analogy. Airline pilots use checklists before every flight, not because they lack experience, but because experience teaches that consistency prevents mistakes. Photography benefits from the same disciplined approach.
As photographer Ansel Adams famously observed, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” That simple statement reminds us that excellent images are constructed through deliberate decisions rather than chance.
Practice With Purpose
Taking ten thousand random photographs does not necessarily improve skill. Deliberate practice does.
Spend an entire outing photographing only reflections. On another day, concentrate exclusively on shadows, patterns, portraits, or architectural details. Restricting your choices actually strengthens observation because your mind becomes trained to recognize opportunities that would otherwise remain invisible.
Research on expertise consistently demonstrates that focused, purposeful practice leads to superior performance compared with repetitive but unstructured experience. This principle has been documented across music, sports, medicine, and visual arts (Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch Römer, 1993).
The Camera Matters Less Than You Think
Modern cameras are remarkably capable. Whether using a smartphone, an entry level mirrorless camera, or a professional Nikon Z9, the most significant improvement comes from the person behind the viewfinder.
Expensive equipment expands possibilities but does not replace judgment. History provides countless examples of award winning photographs created with modest cameras because the photographer recognized an extraordinary moment.
As Henri Cartier Bresson observed, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” The lesson is encouraging rather than discouraging. Excellence is earned through experience.
Summary
Outstanding photography is not a gift possessed by a fortunate few. It is a learned discipline built upon observation, technical understanding, patience, and intentional practice. Creativity often emerges after these foundations are firmly established. Like learning a new language, the rules come first. Fluency follows later.
Perhaps the better question is not whether you are naturally creative. Instead, ask yourself whether you are willing to observe more carefully than everyone else. If photography is fundamentally the art of seeing, are we teaching ourselves to see the world, or are we simply recording what everyone else walks past?
Copyright
All rights to all of these images belong to the specific owners of each image and not to this author. The author claims no title to any image. They are used as examples of extraordinary work for the purpose of inspiration under the Creative Commons licence.
Selected References
Adams, A. The Camera.
Arnheim, R. Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye.
Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch Römer, C. (1993). The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363 to 406.
Langford, M. Langford’s Basic Photography.
Cartier Bresson, H. The Decisive Moment.
About the Author:
Michael Martin is the Vice President of Technology with Metercor Inc., a Smart Meter, IoT, and Smart City systems integrator based in Canada. He has more than 40 years of experience in systems design for applications that use broadband networks, optical fibre, wireless, and digital communications technologies. He is a business and technology consultant. He was a senior executive consultant for 15 years with IBM, where he worked in the GBS Global Center of Competency for Energy and Utilities and the GTS Global Center of Excellence for Energy and Utilities. He is a founding partner and President of MICAN Communications and before that was President of Comlink Systems Limited and Ensat Broadcast Services, Inc., both divisions of Cygnal Technologies Corporation (CYN: TSX).
Martin served on the Board of Directors for TeraGo Inc (TGO: TSX) and on the Board of Directors for Avante Logixx Inc. (XX: TSX.V). He has served as a Member, SCC ISO-IEC JTC 1/SC-41 – Internet of Things and related technologies, ISO – International Organization for Standardization, and as a member of the NIST SP 500-325 Fog Computing Conceptual Model, National Institute of Standards and Technology. He served on the Board of Governors of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) [now Ontario Tech University] and on the Board of Advisers of five different Colleges in Ontario – Centennial College, Humber College, George Brown College, Durham College, Ryerson Polytechnic University [now Toronto Metropolitan University]. For 16 years he served on the Board of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), Toronto Section.
He holds three master’s degrees – in business (MBA), communication (MA), and education (MEd). As well, he has three undergraduate diplomas and seven major certifications in business, computer programming, internetworking, project management, media, photography, and communication technology. He has completed over 80 next generation MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) [aka Micro Learning] continuous education programs in a wide variety of topics, including: Economics, Python Programming, Internet of Things, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive systems, Blockchain, Agile, Power BI, Big Data, Design Thinking, Security, Indigenous Canada awareness, and more.
Martin in a volunteer, a photographer, a learner, a technologist, a philosophizer, and a romantic optimist.