Hi there! I’m Coni from The Wanderer Photographer, and today I want to share with you my #1 tip to improve your photos really, really fast—training your eye.
You might think that photography is all about having the best camera, but in reality, it’s about how well you see the world and how you capture it.
So, how do we do that? Start by looking at everything around you as a potential photograph. Notice the light, shadows, contrast, lines, and patterns. The more aware you become of these elements, the better your photos will be.
👉 Watch now to learn how to develop a photographer’s eye!
đź“Ť When Taking Photos
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not recognizing when a photo is out of focus. If your image isn’t sharp, there’s often no way to fully recover it. Even though some AI-based software can help, it’s always better to get it right in-camera.
If you can retake the shot, you need to identify focus issues immediately when reviewing your images—because what looks sharp on the back of the camera might not be sharp at full resolution.
đź“Ť When Editing Photos
Editing isn’t about randomly adjusting sliders. A trained eye knows exactly what needs to be fixed:
âś… Flat-looking images? Add contrast to make them pop.
âś… White balance off? Adjust the tones so the colors look natural.
âś… Blown-out highlights? Reduce them to recover detail.
âś… Shadows too dark? Lift them slightly to bring back texture.
By learning to see what’s wrong in a photo, you’ll know exactly how to fix it—both in-camera and in post-processing.
A trained eye can also spot the difference between motion blur and an out-of-focus shot, which is something many beginners confuse.
Motion blur happens when your subject moves or your camera shakes while the shutter is open, creating a streaky, smeared effect in the image.
❌ Shutter speed too slow → ✅ Increase shutter speed (at least 1/250s for people, 1/500s+ for action).
❌ Handheld camera shake → ✅ Use a tripod or turn on image stabilization.
❌ Fast-moving subject → ✅ Use AF-C (Nikon) / AI Servo (Canon) and track the motion.
🔎 How to Identify Motion Blur:
An out-of-focus image happens when your camera fails to focus correctly on your subject, resulting in soft, blurry details.
❌ Wrong focus point → ✅ Use Single-Point Autofocus and manually select the focus area.
❌ Shallow depth of field (too wide aperture) → ✅ Use a smaller aperture (e.g., f/4 or f/5.6 instead of f/1.8).
❌ Using single focus mode for a moving subject → ✅ Switch to Continuous Autofocus (AF-C/AI Servo) for tracking.
🔎 How to Identify an Out-of-Focus Image:
đź’ˇ Quick Trick to Tell the Difference:
✅ If the blur is directional (streaks or smearing), it’s motion blur.
✅ If nothing is sharp anywhere, it’s out of focus.
✅ If part of the image is sharp but the subject isn’t, your focus point was off.
📌 Study Great Photos – Look at images from photographers you admire. Ask yourself, why do I like this image?
📌 Analyze What’s Wrong – When you don’t like a photo, figure out what’s off—light, contrast, focus, composition?
📌 Keep Practicing – The more you shoot, the more you develop your ability to see details before clicking the shutter.
Training your eye never really stops—even experienced photographers keep refining how they see the world!
I created a FREE guide to help you improve your photography faster by recognizing what’s working, what’s not, and how to fix it.
👉 Enter your email below to get the guide instantly!
If you’re looking for a community of photographers to grow with, check out LensLife, my photography membership where we do monthly challenges, live training, and creative exercises to keep improving together!
đź“Ť Check out LensLife here: www.thewandererphotographer.com/lenslife-open-doors
✨ What’s one thing you’re working on to train your eye? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear! 🚀
