Amaze Your Friends With Your Photos Using These Photography Tips

By David B On Mar 9, 2014

Photography is very exciting, and it can be a rewarding recreational activity to pursue. You have to know what you are doing before you can really shine, however. The tips below will let you in on some of the best ways to take some great photographs.

Your image can be considerably better if you get in close proximity to your subject. Getting up close gives you a better conceptual focus, and blots out background distractions. It also highlights your subject’s facial expressions, which are important to a great portrait. Little details are often missed when your subject is too far away.

Shutter Speeds

TIP! A good tip you can use when shooting photographs is to practice using digital techniques. With the right techniques, you can make your photos look like classic works of art.

Pay attention to the speed of your shutter and test out various scenes by alternating it. A moment in time can be captured by a photograph, and then grouped with others to show an expansive time period. Lighting quick shutter speeds are great for sports shots with lots of action, while slow shutter speeds are nice for landscapes without a lot of movement.

Choose only the best photos to showcase or display. Resist any temptation to show all of your photos or to display many pictures of similar subjects or settings. Seeing the same things repeatedly can become boring. Keep it fresh, and show different aspects of your photography.

Pay attention to your lighting, and adjust the white balance if necessary. Shooting indoors can give your pictures a yellowish tint due to the light bulbs. You could change the room’s lighting, but instead look to your camera’s white balance setting. It can completely change the feel of the room. This will definitely provide your pictures with a professional appearance.

TIP! When you are learning, camera settings should be simple. Master one control at a time, such as the shutter speed or the aperture, before taking on the next.

Don’t miss the perfect shot because you don’t have any charged batteries. When you use the LCD on your camera or the flash, your camera drains power quickly. If not fully charged, you may miss out on some great shots. To be extra sure you don’t miss a critical shot, take a spare set of batteries with you and change over when needed.

External Flash

Digital cameras normally contain a built-in flash, that automatically turns on when the natural light is too low. For a broader flash range, get a professional camera with an external flash function. If your camera will accept an external flash (look for a “hot shoe”), a photo shop can set you up with a model to sync with your camera.

TIP! Keep your arms in close to your body while holding your camera, and keep your hands on the bottom and sides of the camera. The idea here is to reduce the shaking caused by normal movements.

ISO, shutter speed and aperture are important settings, and you may have to try different settings for the best results. Your photo’s exposure is dictated by these three settings, taken together. You want to avoid either overexposing or underexposing a picture except in some special cases. If you try out the different features and how they work together you can find what works best for you!

Keep in mind how intimidating it can be to have all eyes focused on you as a model, so help your model to feel comfortable with you by creating a relaxed atmosphere. Many people feel uneasy in front of a camera and see photographers as a threat. Be friendly and start a conversation, then kindly ask for permission to take photos. Reassure people that the goal of your photography efforts is to capture and create art, and not to violate their privacy.

Find someone to take pictures with you or join a club. You can learn from others and pick up new ideas, but avoid letting their style take over your own. Compare your photos with your photo buddy to see what different approaches each of you had towards the same subjects.

TIP! Framing is a very important aspect of photography. Zoom in on your subject and eliminate any surrounding distractions.

When trying to compose your photos artistically, less really is more. You can actually overshadow your intended subject when there is too much going on in the rest of the photograph. Simplicity is the way to go, so keep the shots as simple as possible.

Many times the subject looks directly into the camera. Try to capture different feelings, by having your subject focus on something other than the camera, off in the distance. Try to capture moments when the subject is not expecting to be photographed.

Be conscious of the natural light. When taking outside photos, try to pick a time of day when the sun is low in the sky: either early morning or late afternoon. If the sun is high, you will see shadows that you may not want, and the person you are taking a picture of will probably end up squinting because of the strong sunlight. Use sunlight, candlelight and artificial light to see how each affects the subject of your photographs.

TIP! Get into the habit of adjusting the white balance on your camera. Indoor lighting can sometimes cause your pictures to look yellow and off colored.

For a gripping photo, experiment with depth of field. If you wish to have the main focus on the subject or object without having the background overtake it, then think about using a smaller f-stop number, otherwise known as a depth of field technique. Try this strategy when taking portraits or other close-up shots. The bigger the f-stop number, the bigger the depth of field. This means that if your depth of field is larger, then a larger portion of the picture will appear focused on. This is perfect for landscape photos.

If you want to become a great photographer, education and effort are necessary. Some of these tips will instantly improve your shots; however, others will require you to practice hard before progress can be seen. Just remember not to lose your joy, this is supposed to be fun after all. Use the tips offered in this article and you will find success with photography.