Taking photos you consider “bad” might actually improve your photography skills more than you’d expect. These imperfect images play a crucial role in shaping how effectively you handle your camera and approach each photography session.
Coming to you from Peter Forsgård, this insightful video challenges the assumption that every photo must be flawless to be valuable. Forsgård emphasizes the value of “warm-up shots,” those initial, imperfect images you take when first starting a shoot. These preliminary photos serve to rebuild muscle memory, helping you become familiar again with camera settings and handling, especially important if you’re switching between different cameras. Forsgård experienced this personally after an injury sidelined him from photography for two months, noticing how essential warm-up images became to regaining his technique. The video explores how these imperfect images reduce anxiety, acting as stepping stones towards confidence, especially after prolonged periods without photography.
Additionally, Forsgård highlights that making frequent, casual photographs improves your observational skills significantly. By taking photos without overthinking their immediate value, you sharpen your eye for detail, eventually guiding yourself naturally towards more compelling shots. He shares that casually capturing mundane or everyday scenes is a method famously employed by street photographer Daido Moriyama, who photographs instinctively. These unplanned captures gradually refine your ability to spot intriguing compositions, enhancing your creative instinct and observational sensitivity.
Forsgård also points out that these seemingly unimportant photographs help transition you back into your “photographic vision.” Taking unstructured, spontaneous images builds your ability to previsualize scenes, enabling you to recognize promising opportunities more naturally over time. This spontaneous approach also prepares you for varied environmental conditions, helping you quickly adapt to changing scenarios, whether it’s shifting lighting or unfamiliar locations. Forsgård believes these shots can foster creativity, prompting you to see new potential in everyday subjects and allowing fresh ideas to emerge spontaneously.
One intriguing perspective Forsgård offers is that these so-called “bad” photographs can even become part of a compelling photo set. Individually, they might seem insignificant, but when viewed collectively, their consistent theme or style can reveal surprising depth. Grouping these photographs can create cohesive sets that elevate seemingly mundane subjects into meaningful series, mirroring approaches taken by renowned photographers who transformed ordinary subjects into extraordinary portfolios. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Forsgård.
