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Assuming that we're talking about serious photography here, I would say quite simply that awareness makes a difference. First of all, awareness in the sense of making conscious decisions during the process of taking the photograph. The advent of the digital capture and storage of images has enabled photographers to have the scope to not just shoot but to visually massacre' the subject- bit closer, bit to the left,- don't have to worry, I've got another 17 terabytes of storage in my bag! This causes several problems: first the huge number of shots we can take means we are actually less selective in the ones we choose to print or do something with', as the task is too great. Two years ago, a friend of mine came back from a 10 day safari with 3,500 shots-I've yet to see one printed up. Secondly we machine-gun the subject, in the often vain hope that something will be acceptable. So rather than approaching the subject with camera already at your eye, look at the subject first. What interests you about it? Where is the light striking the object? From this side the shadow is dramatic, what about from the other side? Don't take one from each side, be brave, make a decision, damn it.

Apart from an awareness of what you're doing, it's healthy to have an awareness of why you're doing it. So is one going to be a family snap? Or am I trying to create an image that I like and am pleased with for its own sake? Three years ago, I took my wife to Orvieto for her first visit. The light was particularly good, strong but angular winter sunshine. I took some shots which I was pleased with. I took my time and they worked very well. It was also our first visit there together, so there were all the other more personal type of photos which I took where there are different considerations. As a serious photographer, you still want family pictures. Just try to be aware of which you're taking at a given point.

My final point about awareness. As well as being a photographer, I'm also a musician; I could probably name a hundred of the jazz guitar greats'; I know people who consider themselves photographers who couldn't name one of the masters. That, to me, is tragic: Cartier-Bresson, Willy Ronis, Josef Sudek, Lartigue Elliot Erwitt, and many more. Thousands of wonderful images to be enjoyed and from which to draw inspiration.

An awareness of its history, I feel, is vital to understanding any art form. Studying the masters will give your approach to photography some substance but also it will make you aware that it won't be a new lens or another, better camera that will change your photography. These people took wonderful images with equipment a lot less sophisticated than what is available today.

In conclusion, first of all be aware of why you're taking the photo. Then make conscious decisions as you're doing it. Finally look at the work of other photographers, and I don't mean in photographic magazines. Go to where it started. When you begin to understand where it all came from, you may be able to take it a lot further!

Learn more about this author, Rowland Jones.
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