If it’s “photography gear” you’re seeking to upgrade, I’ve covered it in Guide to Photography Gear<\/a>.\u00a0 However, if it’s your skills<\/em> that really need the upgrade, read on…<\/p>\n It goes without saying that there is no “rule” as to what makes a great photograph; It is, after all, subjective.\u00a0 That said, when people typically evaluate a photograph, they usually do it on two parameters:<\/p>\n 1. Technicals Technicals <\/strong>refers to aspects about Aperture<\/strong>, Shutter Speed<\/strong> & ISO <\/strong>– the triad that makes for the right “exposure”.<\/p>\n The Digital Photography School is a great website to get started on the basics of any thing remotely related to Photography.\u00a0 DPS1<\/a>, DPS2<\/a>\u00a0are two writeups that will explain the concepts of exposure more than adequately.<\/p>\n This should give you a decent understanding of the basics of Exposure, but feel free to dig deeper.\u00a0 Highly recommended is Fred Parker’s Ultimate Exposure Guide<\/a>.\u00a0 Also highly recommended is the book\u00a0Understanding Exposure<\/a> But, if you’d really<\/em> like to take this to the next level, I suggest you pick\u00a0up an old (I mean decades old), manual film-based SLR and\u00a0get your hands dirty with\u00a0a few rolls of film.\u00a0 Ask any of us who learned photography the old-school “manual” way, and you’ll see what I mean…<\/p>\n Aesthetics <\/strong>is obviously a matter of personal opinion, but includes that most critical aspect of good photography – “composition”.<\/p>\n In my experience,\u00a0a good sense of composition can be developed over time, irrespective<\/em> of the gear you use.\u00a0 That’s the reason great photographers can make great pictures even with a crummy camera.\u00a0 In fact, it may be argued that no matter how “advanced” your gear is, it will only help control (manipulate?) the light that enters the frame.\u00a0 The rest is just composition.\u00a0 In other words, as long as the available light is adequate, the kind of camera or lens you use does not really matter all that much in the end.<\/p>\n The most important piece of advice I have seen on improving your composition is in this article<\/a>.\u00a0 It’s written by Ian Bramham – an architect from UK who does wonders<\/a> with the most basic, entry-level DSLR from the Nikon family.<\/p>\n
\n2. Aesthetics<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=naveenbachwani-20&l=ur2&o=1\")