Yesterday marked my 1st month here at Steemit. It has been quite a struggle for a starter like me but I believe my first month of photography activity in Steemit is a good run. Anything about photography is just fascinating and winning on photo contest from @juliank, @axeman, @howtostartablog and @tpkidkai and recognition from other top Steemit users is a big accomplishment.

I may not have earned much from my photos but I was able to earn something greater, being on the roster of winners.

Julian's daily photography challenge is the most interesting challenge since it has the most number of participants. This contest is an activity most Steemians especially starter look forward to.

In a span of 1 month participating in the daily challenge, I was able to reach Level 3 and gained 654.77 XP. I was able to submit a total of 30 photographs and 9 of those photos won on their respective challenges.

You may check them on the links below.

• 38 Eye-Catching Long Exposure Photos
• 49 Inconceivable Golden Hour Photos
• 39 Delicious Food Photos
• 55 Grandiose Animal Photos
• 51 Surreal Street Photos
• 42 Surreal Street Photos
• 50 Gorgeous Portrait Photos
• 32 Stunning Portrait Photos
• 42 Vehicular Vehicle Photos

It is not much but I guess a decent one and enough to fuel my passion. Like I mentioned above, anything about photography is fascinating. It always left you in awe and always take your breath away.

I know I still have a lot to learn but being in the game for quite a while, photography has taught me a lot of lessons which I think is one of the most important parts of the journey.

Before I go, here are a few things I think every budding photographer needs if they wish to venture the diverse and competitive world of photography.

• Grow your audience

It will be dull and boring if you yourself are the only person who appreciates your work. Establish your presence, there are a lot of photography community to get hook with. The good thing of having a strong following is you will have a pipeline for your work. It will not be hard for you to reach out when you have something new to offer.

Engage with like-minded people and share your craft.

• Choose your genre

It is good that you know most of the genre but doesn't need to be a Jack of All Trade. Try to focus on one genre and master it. If you love portrait then focus all your efforts on it and when you have success on it, rewards and recognition will surely follow.

You will also earn the respect from your colleagues especially those who are into portrait photography.

• Setup objectives and goals

Photography not just involves luck but it also needs planning. Set proper objectives and goals, being into photography is not always make or break.

When I ventured mobile photography, i set an objective to harness the ability of smartphones as a good tool for photography. That goal and objective paid off, a photo which I took with a smartphone just listed as Top 10 best photos of a global photo event last year.

• Don't be afraid to take photographs of people

This is what most of us are struggling, taking photos of people especially strangers. I really had a bad experience on taking photos of people, I was thrown with a pail of water. Good thing I notice her throwing water and protected my camera. On instances like this, the trick is simple, ask them politely that you will take a photo of them or thank show them the photo and thank them after.

If they don't like it, you can have deleted in front of them. If the photo you capture is really captivating, file recovery tools will do the job.

• Steal

Follow the technique. Since you just started, try to follow the works of those who have established careers already. Just follow and never copy. It's always a good thing if we have something to look up to.

If it works for them, maybe a different approach with the same idea will do the trick.

• Travel and explore

To travel is to spend an ample amount of money especially if you're just starting out. Try to explore your town for a start. My hometown is a very quiet place yet when I took the time to explore, I find so many interesting areas which is good for photography.I am sure that your place has something special to offer.

Just walk and expect something amazing on your viewfinder.

• Look for an inspiration

The world is just awesome and there are a lot of interesting things around you. Do not curb your creativity, free your mind. If you have no time to roam around, you can listen a new music, read books, check new videos online or watch tv.

Anything that can ignite a spark will be a big help to you.

• Always monitor your health

Health is wealth. You need a healthy body to have a sound mind and sound mind is needed to fire up your imagination and creativity. You won't be able to do the things above if you are lying in bed because you're not fit to do those stuff.

Take care of your body and do the things you love.

There you have it, a few helpful tricks that will help you in your photography journey. I am very confident that it will help you along the way.

Trust me, been there done that.

Lastly, here are some of my best shots that I am truly proud of. Shots that have won awards and shots that gave me fulfillment and satisfaction on this game called photography.

• This photo is shot with a smartphone, a Huawei P10. This photo made it to the Top 10 of the leaders competition for the annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk. The best part of this photo is that this global event is attended by mostly DSLR photographers.

• This is also one photo that I am very proud of. This has won several awards at ViewBug (a photographers community). One of my best portrait shot too :)

• No awards are made by this photo but this is one of my masterpiece. The guy is a rock icon here in the Philippines. What I like in the photo is the perfect timing, as you could see, the light is directed to him and he was screaming at that moment.

• Nothing much on this photo as well but still a masterpiece for me. Just look deep in the eye, you will know my reasons for loving this photo.

#KeepShooting

All photos above are owned by Me (Herbert Kikoy)