All photography, every image, comes down to three parts.

Technical - Light - Composition.

1. TECHNICAL: Understand your camera, how it works, and what it can and can't do.

2. LIGHT: Look for the light (and shadow) and know how to use it.

3. COMPOSITION: Decide what goes in and what stays out of your image, and where you put things in the frame. (An understanding of Design Elements will help improve your composition.)

It doesn't matter what you like to photograph, those three things are the foundations you need to build on your photography skills. You can pick up hints and tips from books or blogs, but if you can get with other photographers who will share ideas and give feedback, then you'll really see a big jump in understanding.

I teach photography at RMIT in Melbourne and I run Photography Tours that provide great opportunities to practice what you learn. Keep an eye out for an upcoming post where I share some more ideas and resources for learning to take better photos..

And because you can't have a blog post without an image, here's a couple of favourites from the desert in Morocco.