I have always loved photography, but I have never really seriously occupied myself with it. Although I was always keen to learn more about it, every attempt was a failure. There were so many new terms and concepts, and I became more and more confused. The biggest problem, really, was that I didn’t know where to start. I vividly remember a fellow student at university who was a professional photographer whom I’d always admired, because she had skills I would have very much liked to learn.

When I started my blog www.theviennesegirl.com two years ago, I realized straightaway how it important it is to have nice photos as part of the blog. The first few photos I uploaded were nothing special. That is because they were photos that I took with the camera on my phone. To be honest, I didn’t know what I was doing. I only knew that it was imperative to improve my photographic skills to make my blog successful. I decided to buy a DSLR camera for Christmas and started at the same time to establish contacts with other photographers in Vienna. This contact with other photographers and establishing my blog were important factors that motivated me to start grappling with photography.

A whole new world has opened up to me through photography: DSLR cameras, lenses, tripods, picture editing programs, filters, composition, and light. Now it has already been more than two years since I bought my first DSLR camera and everyone who sees my photos is always impressed and I usually receive very positive feedback. Many people send emails and ask me what camera I’m using. On the whole I’m naturally quite proud that I have made progress, but the success is definitely due to the fact that I didn’t give up and that I have always remained curious. On the other hand I think that constructive feedback wouldn’t be bad either, because it would help me to understand my mistakes and to improve them.

But what does one do when buying a DSLR? How do you actually learn about photography? In my experience, the most important thing is practice and thinking. Just go outside and start to take photos! Naturally you can attend photography courses or enroll in a three-year study program, watch a lot of YouTube videos and read books about photography, but I insist that most important, practically speaking, are two things: practice and thinking. If you have a passion for something, you are sure to succeed. And you must never forget that it is a long process to master photography; you must not become discouraged. It is always difficult in the beginning, but the more you practice, the better you will be. Practice makes perfect. Another thing you can do is to look at photos by other photographers. I invite you to look at the portfolio of my favorite photographer. His name is Luke Shadbolt http://lukeshadbolt.com/; he is from Australia, has won several photography awards and takes super-cool photos. Looking at his page is definitely worthwhile. Instagram is also a place that I find very inspiring. There are people who publish fantastic photos and one should absolutely follow them.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my personal story and I look forward to your comments.

The Viennese Girl

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