Put down that camera, and pick up a book.

Put down that camera for a bit. You may fall into a period of separation anxiety, but I promise that it'll be short.. although I can't promise that it won't be painful. Anyway, now that your cameras are elsewhere and your hands are empty, go ahead and pick up a book. Not a photo book, but rather a good example of literature (Hemingway, or Faulkner perhaps?) Wait, but why? Well because, as irrelevant as it may sound, appreciating good literature may actually improve your photography. The connection between literature and photography may not be apparent, but it is definitely there.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Its a phrase that has worn out its use a while ago, but it does make the inevitable comparison between the written word and a picture. I couldn't say that a picture could equate to a book in its entirety, they both have their own place as forms of expression, but the very fact that they are both forms of expression should be a considered similarity. Both the author and the photographer ask the same creative-inducing questions, and both attempt to answer and express these questions in their own ways. These questions are often evaluations of the human condition, of our own psyche and the psyche of the subject. Understanding humanity seems almost necessary to create photographs worthy of thought, and literature has been attempting to understand humanity longer than the existence of photography. I'm sure these works of literature have a lot to say, and we certainly will always have a lot to learn. We can even see similarities in terms of how we attempt to answer these questions. Literary devices can to an extent be worked into a photograph, and understanding these devices could broaden your arsenal of expressive techniques.

Taking a good picture goes beyond basic photographic comprehension, as it also involves the expression of our thoughts and concepts. So expanding our thoughts and concepts could ultimately lead to a greater picture.