Last week, I wrote about practicing portraiture and gave several ideas for ways and places to practice. This week, I had the chance to practice photographing a lot of people in a short time, and I jumped at it. I was at Out of Chicago Conference and made pictures with 54 people in less than an hour and a half. Doing this reminded me of something very important.

Practice, Realize, Change

At OOC I made more portraits for the Steve Jobs portrait Project. The last time I made portraits in this style, I was trying to explain to someone how to hold their hand in the right position and discovered a really good way to do it that yields much more consistency than I ever used to get. This method also makes making the shot even faster, so I realized that I needed to incorporate it into all my shots.

You should do this, too. Whenever you practice, you’re going to realize something that makes a better picture. It could be a better pose, it could be a better camera setting or lighting setup, it could be a better breakfast cereal that makes you feel good in the morning. Whatever it is, change your process to include it. If you can make a change every time, you’ll become a proficient and professional experience for everyone who comes in front of your camera, and you’ll have a better experience yourself.

Sound obvious? It kind of is, but like so many things in this photography adventure, it helps just to say it and do it.

Here are the pictures I made the other day in Chicago. I highly recommend Out of Chicago Conference for all kinds and levels of photographer.