I just spent an absurd amount of money on a new camera: the Fujifilm GFX100RF. I’m writing this article to myself as much as I’m writing this to you, because it is so easy to believe that new gear will have a larger impact on photographic outcomes than it likely will. New cameras with the latest tech and highest specs will have some impact on our photos for sure, but probably a very small one. The next camera purchase is highly unlikely to unlock better pictures. Camera companies certainly want us to think so, and every new release promises improved autofocus, faster processors, or more megapixels. Those things are nice to have, but they’re rarely the reason one photograph is memorable while another is forgotten. The biggest improvements occur because of what happens twelve inches behind the camera, and has very little to do with the gear in your hands. So let’s take a look at three easy-to-learn habits that will actually improve our photography, and will have a much more meaningful impact than any new gear purchase.

The first habit is to slow down. Digital cameras have made it incredibly easy to fire off dozens or perhaps even hundreds of frames in a matter of minutes. While sometimes you’ve got to be extremely quick to get the shot, most of the time that’s not true. Often the better approach is to pause before pressing the shutter. Take a look around the edges of the frame. Notice distractions in the background. Move around a little. Anticipate the decisive moment rather than snap 15 frames hoping that one will just so happen to catch it. With Fujifilm cameras, I use the Clarity pause to slow myself down, and that’s often not enough. I have to constantly remind myself to be in less of a hurry and to be more in the moment.

Second, you’ve got to go back to get the good ones, as photographer Chuck Abbott advised in the September 1955 issue of Arizona Highways magazine. Specifically he was asked how he was able to create such wonderful pictures, and his answer had nothing to do with gear. Instead, he suggested returning to the same subject or location again and again and again, photographing it at a different time, in a different light, or in a different season. Been there, done that is a terrible maxim for photographers. Return as often as practical to the same place and try, try again. Even if you have pictures from that subject or location that you’re quite happy with, go back with your camera and make another attempt.

Of course, you should always carry a camera, no matter where you go, which is the third habit. Sometimes photographic opportunities happen when you least expect it, and if you don’t have a camera, you’ll completely miss it. Additionally, when you carry a camera, you look at the world a bit different (at least I do). You don’t just see for the sake of sight; instead, you see the world around you with photographic vision. When you see the world this way, it helps to train you to find the photographic opportunities, even in seemingly mundane locations.

New cameras are exciting, and I certainly enjoy them as much as anyone, but they won’t make you a better photographer. Lasting improvements don’t come in a product box, they come from within. Slowing down, paying attention to light and form, making intentional creative choices, returning to familiar places, carrying your camera consistently, and things like that are what will improve your photography. New gear is nice, but it’s not what really matters. Creating good habits is the best thing that you can do to improve your photography, which will outlast any camera purchase.

See also:
5 Tips for Better Landscape Photography