Working on a post-processing course about localized adjustments, those little changes to tone and color we do after basic processing, put me in a reflective mood. My post-processing style is certainly described as a series of small changes that sum up to a large change. What about my photography overall? What are the inflection points on my photo journey thus far that may have seemed small at the time, yet resulted in a big payoff?

I have 5 of these turning points to share with you in today’s episode. They are:

1. Walk a scene before planting the tripod legs: I find better compositions and make stronger photos when I explore with a camera handheld first. Now, when I plant the tripod legs, I spend more time making the photograph and less time adjusting the tripod.

2. Ask “What makes this place unique?”: I ask this question of myself when I struggle with composition. Finding what is unique about the location leads me to stronger photography. Listen to the episode for the origin story of this question for me.

3. Putting My Filters In the MindShift Filter Hive: This wonderful bag is the best $60 I have ever spent on my photography. When I am working on a photo and need a filter, lens wipe, or battery, they are all at my fingertips. I keep my attention focused on the photography and not fishing for gear in my camera bag.

4. Rating and tagging every photo in my library: An upfront investment for sure, yet the small habit of rating every photo and tagging the good ones means I can slice and dice my photo library in so many ways. It is easier to find images for a project, build retrospectives, and examine past work to measure my progress as an artist. In this sense, tagging indirectly makes me a better photographer.

5. Pulling back 5% on post-processing sliders: I love post-processing and in the early days I would push those sliders to 11! Now, I dial in a look I think is good, push the slider a little farther until it seems like too much, then pull back about 5%. The results are a more natural-looking image in line with the aesthetic I like.

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