Tor Egil Hoftun Kvæstad

Earlier this year I attended the photography course that was offered through work. It was interesting, and I learned a lot about how to take good photographs.

The problem is, I also learned what constitutes a good photograph. This, I've found, is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, if I take a photo that I'm not satisfied with, I have a relatively good idea about what I have to do to improve it. On the other hand, when I see a photograph now, I tend to look at all the things that could have been improved, instead of enjoying the photograph.

This goes for both photos taken by myself, and for photos taken by others. I look at a photo and think that the composition is off, the colour balance is wrong or the shutter time was too long to freeze the motion. I suppose it is the same way with everything you create; if you know where to look for mistakes, you're sure to find them.

It would seem that to enjoy photographs, ignorance is bliss. However, in order to improve your technique and take better photographs, knowledge is power.

If you're considering taking a course — do it. Photography becomes much more interesting when you know you're doing, instead of just snapping whatever happens to be on the other side of the lens.