Don’t sweat the tech skills too much. Focus, instead, on one of the cores of creative shooting: the art of seeing the world

Here is a little test: Think back to your commute to work, or checking in at the airport. Can you remember any visual specifics of the journey?

Or did you simply arrive? It is common to develop tunnel vision—jostling through the world without really seeing it. As a photographer, your job is to fight this human default; to constantly observe; to note situations and detail that evoke emotions and imagination.

Try looking around your plane seat. What could you photograph? A child silhouetted while peering out the window? A businessman sleeping with work on his lap? A close-up of your passport tucked into a travel bag? What situation captures the moment? Travelling to a vacation spot?

Try this exercise upon arrival: go for a one-hour walk and take 30 distinctly different photos along the way. It is tougher than it sounds. A few tips: Don’t look at your feet (most of us do while walking). Instead look up, down and to the sides. Relax your eyes, trust your peripheral vision.

Take note of the world around you with the interest of a child. also, don’t try too hard. There is no right and wrong. Great photography is about sharing what interests you with others. Perhaps an unusual pattern in the bark of a tree catches your eye, or the shadow of a looming building, or an expanse of boats bobbing in a harbour. Try capturing this. In order to facilitate your vision, remove distractions from the frame. Don’t worry about feeling too goofy, and hold up your thumb and index finger on both hands to form a frame before your eyes. What you are doing is visualizing the final result without even touching the camera.

Soon enough you’ll begin to see images on your own, but it is an important step—the ability to visualize photos before they’re taken is what sets the pros apart. The photographer’s vision is a skill that must be cultivated, but the payoff will go far beyond great photos. Whether your camera is handy or not, you will find yourself noticing and appreciating more beauty in the world around you, and really, what more could you ask for?