Elevate Your Photography Game: Mastering the Art One Percent at a Time

It’s essentially a numbers game, you see. One of my preferred photography sayings is the extravagant notion of improving by 1% each day and how it can revolutionize a photographer’s approach. In reality, it applies to the endeavors of any creative individual.

Imagine a snowball. It begins as a minuscule ice ball that requires pushing, shoving, and coaxing to start rolling before it accumulates size and mass sufficient to roll down the hill independently, gaining momentum with even greater mass until it reaches the parking lot and obliterates the small red and blue coffee stand that serves fantastic lattes.

Apologies… my error. It starts small, but as it enlarges, it can gather more snow due to the increased surface area to collect it… somewhat like compound interest. And we adore compound interest — whether in our savings or in our knowledge.

When I discuss this phenomenon with creatives, they tend to believe that improving by one percent implies they will be 365% enhanced by the end of the year. And, yes, that’s impressive by itself. However, the reality is that we achieve far greater through this compounding effort. Allow me to demonstrate how.

We are embarking on a new year, that enchanting period that grants us the opportunity to refresh, carve new paths, enroll in neglected gym memberships, and vow to never, ever, ever indulge in another Twinkie. And we all understand how those resolutions generally unfold.

Let’s initiate something fresh.

What if we devised a system that enables us to improve by 1% every day?

• 1% improvement in composition.
• 1% enhancement in Photoshop.
• 1% advancement in record-keeping.
• 1% better at reaching out to clients.

Just one single, minuscule, tiny, 1% improvement. That’s akin to mastering the use of Blend If in just 15 focused minutes. Perhaps diving into color theory in a brief course the following day. And on the third day, we might learn how to utilize our flash outside to soften shadows on a bright sunny day.

Acquiring each of those little insights elevates your expertise slightly, but that increment COMPOUNDS with the new knowledge gained the subsequent day and the day after.

Let’s take that Blend-If understanding and the color theory insight outdoors to capture a photo under the brilliant sun with the expertise to execute it effectively. And those tiny 1% improvements are accumulating to something more substantial than we realize.

How significantly enhanced is the image when we amalgamate our knowledge? Immensely. Well, it’s definitely better than just 3%.

There’s a mathematical benefit to this gradual, incremental progression:

Improving by 1% each day results in being 37 times more effective by year-end. That’s 3,778% enhancement.

Here’s a useful math chart for those who appreciate numbers.

Let’s delve into how this modest yet powerful development might unfold for you:

Technical Skill Rollercoaster

You will commence by simply experimenting with lighting methods.

In the first week, you’re learning to manage those harsh midday sun rays.

By week two, you’ll explore creating dramatically lit side scenarios.

By the year’s conclusion, you’ve transformed into a lighting maestro capable of manipulating light as if it were made from Play-Doh or pipe cleaners.
Do they still produce pipe cleaners?

Gear Optimization Hack

Rather than spending a fortune on new gear, you’re going to become incredibly well-acquainted with your existing equipment.

equipment:

Discover one random camera adjustment that’s been lingering in your mind like that catchy, catchy song — the one that’s currently stuck in your head (Apologies. Seriously — I’m sorry).

Experiment with one post-processing technique that you’ve been eager to master.

Adapt a preset you acquired to make it feel more “you”, attempt something you’ve seen on YouTube, then modify it to match your own creative approach.

Engage in something entirely surprising with your gear. Wrap a lens in cellophane, shoot through a pipe, position your camera in an unconventional way, try glitter on… NO, hold on… no glitter. Erase that mention of glitter.

But you understand my point, right?

In three months, you could be producing visuals that will astonish you using equipment that you already possess. Perhaps even earning enough from the new projects to acquire some fresh, exciting gear.
If that’s your desire.

Portfolio Ninja Strategy

Numerous photographers kind of spray and hope for the best with their portfolios. They shoot seemingly at random, attempting to create images they believe are impressive enough for a portfolio, yet uncertain about the overall appearance their portfolio should take.

You’re going to adopt a more intentional strategy

“Imitate, Innovate, and Innovate” — Clark Terry.

Choose a look or style that captivates you. Break it down. Understand it. (Imitate.)
Then, utilize it to create photographs where you have complete control. (Assimilate.)
And once you’ve mastered it, and it becomes part of your repertoire, adapt it to make it uniquely yours. (Innovate.)

Analyze one renowned photographer’s signature techniques weekly. Avedon’s lighting. Perweiler’s compositions. Meisel’s colors.

The aim is to take this knowledge and generate one shot that’s so striking it compels people to pause scrolling. If you can achieve this once a week, or even twice a month, you’re on the right track.

Business Growth Trick

Photography combines science, artistry, creativity — and a relentless hustle. Your daily 1% improvement might look like:

Discover one marketing strategy that’s subtly brilliant. Search YouTube for marketing videos garnering over 500,000 views. Aim to identify a single takeaway that benefits you every day. Just one.

Master creating proposals that make people exclaim, “Wow, take my money!”
Indeed, learning to value your work and presenting bids accordingly is as much an art as crafting an image. Hone this skill at every chance.

Cultivate communication skills that are smoother than butter stashed in the trunk of your Honda on a hot summer afternoon. Practice with a friend, lower-tier clients, and family. Make one call each day.

Reach out to three potential clients daily — fifteen weekly. This small endeavor will yield substantial growth. The kind of growth that compounds as well. If you wish to delve deeper into this theme, you can download my complimentary eBook: It’s a Numbers Game: Deep Dive into Marketing in Today’s World.

The Mathematics of Becoming Exceptionally Good

• Day 1: You’re at 100%.
• Day 365: You’ve practically teleported to 3,778% of your initial abilities.
• Translation: You’ve transitioned from “nice camera” to “WTF!!!, how did you manage that?”

Your Daily Challenge

Select ONE minor aspect to enhance. Just one. Perhaps it’s minimizing noise in low-light images. Maybe it’s making subjects appear like models during poses. Keep it simple, keep it specific, make it something you can repeat multiple times. Something consistent that will be integrated into your style and technique.

The photographers who are succeeding aren’t necessarily those with cameras that are pricier than a decent used car, or a gleaming new Indian Chieftain (for anyone contemplating a Christmas gift for me. Black, please, with the natural leather saddle).

They’re the individuals who show up, steadily acquire new skills, and improve just a little bit with each shoot.

Now, let’s all get to work on becoming 1%ers… the kind that improves 1% every day.