Are you ready to learn more about the wonderful world of photography? Do you have some ideas about where and how you’d like to start?
Do you know you need to get a good shot? If you do not have an idea on how to begin, these tips will help get you started.
Take photographs quickly! If you hesitate, you may miss the moment you are trying to capture because of your subject moving. A fast camera will help you take better photos.
Don’t get ahead of yourself and try to adjust all the camera settings without really knowing what you’re doing. Become familiar with one of the settings, like shutter speed or aperture, before you tackle the others. This allows you to just focus on taking photos instead of messing with the camera functions so long that you miss out on the picture.
Use different colors, features, and angles with your camera. It is possible to take very interesting, high-quality photographs without focusing on traditional subject matter. Talented photographers can use their skills to bring out something interesting in even the most mundane of subjects. Try different things to find a style that suits you.
Make sure you have a good sense of depth when shooting landscapes. Shooting a person in front of the landscape will provide perspective and scale to your picture. If you want more sharpness in your photos, especially in the fore- and background, opt for a smaller aperture. This means an aperture of f/8 in a general digital camera or no more than f/16 in full-frame SLR cameras.
Snap some shots of your travel souvenirs. You could take a picture of the store where you bought something or simply photograph the object with an original background. This helps you create an interesting photo essay around the souvenirs you selected that can increase your enjoyment of the photos once you return home.
When you have to make a choice on what photos you want to show off, pick the best ones! Do not show every photograph you have ever taken or too many of the same subject matter. Showing the same type of photo repeatedly gets old fast. Be fresh, and try different kinds of photography.
Many digital cameras are made with a built-in flash that will pop up automatically when the lighting is dimmer. This is wonderful for taking a quick photo, though if you want your pictures to look more professional, try investing in a type of external flash unit that will give you a broad range of light. Try to get a camera with what is known as a “hot shoe” that can take an external flash, and make sure to ask a professional camera shop if it will sync with the camera.
When taking pictures of people, make sure that the background is slightly blurred. If your background isn’t blurred, it may draw the viewer’s eye to the background and away from the subject. You can do this by having your background farther away from your subject.
Be sure to find a subject who is interesting and compelling. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are, or how great your equipment is, you need a great subject to photograph. Look for things that actually give you inspiration, or find a real life model who is willing to model for you.
Above all, you should enjoy the process of capturing images through photography. Pictures should serve as a reminder for a particular moment that you would like to capture forever and be able to look back on in the future. You will be so happy if you are having a good time when you are snapping pictures.
Figure out the best blend of aperture, ISO and shutter speed. The picture exposure is dictate by these three items. You don’t want to overexpose or underexpose a picture, unless you are going for a certain look. Take some time to experiment using these features so that you learn how they interact, and which combination you like best.
Snap some shots of your travel souvenirs. You can take a photo of the item in the store you bought it from, or put it in a location which will show both the beauty of the terrain and the local culture. In this way, you can re-live the experiences that tell the story of your trip and the mementos you chose to bring back home with you.
In many parts in life, we’re trained that everything has to be centered and even. While symmetry and perfection are things people look for, try and take pictures of your subject off center. Turn off the auto-focus so that your camera doesn’t lock its focus onto the center of your shot. Instead, try focusing manually. You can always lock into your subject of choice before you click.
Take down notes when you’re shooting pictures. When sorting through mass amounts of pictures, remembering the exact context or setting of each photograph can be difficult. Get a small notepad and make sure you write down the number of the picture next to your description.
Try to experiment with perspective, expression, and scale. Even an ordinary object can be transformed into a work of art if its setting makes it appear dramatically magnified or diminished in size or placed in a situation that is humorous or unique. Get different takes on familiar objects by working on your compositions.
Many times in life, we receive the training that things must be centered and even. To get interesting photos, it’s preferred to be a little off-center with your shots, even in a “perfect” society. To create asymmetry, you may need to disable your camera’s auto-focus feature, because it always uses the lens’ center as focal point. Use the manual focus and lock it right before you take your picture.
Use limits to help yourself focus in on a subject and be more creative For instance, you can base a whole set of pictures around a specific subject. You can improve your technique by taking many pictures from the same location. Working under such limitations will spur you to think creatively and take more experimental photos.
When warming up to shoot a wedding, try catching some unexpected shots of small details like a bag of makeup sitting on a table or a close-up of a flower. You may also capture some gems in the process.
In most instances, your subject will be looking right at the camera. A unique effect occurs in a picture when the subject looks away from the camera’s field of view. You could also have them focus on an item that is within the frame of the picture.
Though it is tempting to put your digital camera on the lowest setting in order to get more images on the card before having to download them, make sure you realize what you are sacrificing in terms of print quality. Only use the low settings if you know for a fact that the only place you are going to look at them is on your computer.
Most cameras only allow you to focus on either highlights or shadows in one picture. However, it’s possible to take two pictures of your subject, one exposing each, and use a program such as Photoshop to blend the two pictures into one perfect photograph.
You now have a basic knowledge of photography and how to apply it to your conceptual ideas. Do you have a starting point? Are you aware of what works and what does not work for you? By answering these questions, you can take the next step and create great photographs. You have built a solid foundation of knowledge, and now it is time to get out there and shoot!
When you are using a film camera, you should consider what brand film you want to use. Most reputable film brands perform well, so this choice really comes down to personal preference. There is not brand better than another. You can decide which brand to use for whatever reasons you want.
