Discover The Photography Techniques Of The Pros

By David B On Oct 7, 2013

Photography can seem very complex to a beginner. The subject can quickly become overwhelming due to the multitude of information that photographers have access to. The tips below can help you organize the information so that you can take better photos.

Don’t make your photographic techniques too complicated; simplifying your process can get you better pictures. You can usually take a great picture without playing with advanced settings.

Check out what other photographers are doing to get ideas to improve your own photography. Paying attention to other photographers’ work and their different styles will remind you of the endless capabilities of capturing those special moments.

TIP! You need to be fast when snapping your pictures! If you take too long, your subject could move, run away or something could change that could ruin your photo. The faster the shutter on your camera, the better.

Adjust the white balance on your camera manually when possible. Taking indoor pictures is tricky because of the yellow tone the lightbulbs give off. It is often not necessary to alter the lighting itself, when the white balance can adjusted to give you a wide variety of options. This will improve the quality of your pictures, giving them a more natural appearance.

Shutter Speed

Here’s a great photography tip! Shutter speed settings are an important feature of your camera. You should see letters on your camera: P, M, A and S. There is a “P” that refers to program mode. This will have the shutter speed ad aperture already set. If you are unclear what settings you want to apply, just use “P” setting.

TIP! Overcast skies should not be included in the composition of a picture. If your photos contain too much gray sky they will appear washed-out and muted.

When you are on a trip, snap photos of insignificant things. These pictures will often bring back more memories than a picture of a landscape would. Taking photos of things such as street signs, storefronts and other interesting objects will help trigger memories you would have forgotten otherwise.

Get as close to your subject as possible. A subject too far in the distance loses too much detail for the shot to be very good. Make it easy for yourself and your viewers to see a subject clear and vividly.

When you have the perfect shot in view and you are ready to push the shutter, make sure that you hold your breath and do not move an inch. Even the slightest movement can mess up a shot. Do not breathe when you are taking the shot; it is worth the effort.

TIP! Often, photographers only take into account the background in a landscape photo and forget about the foreground. The foreground will be the most viewed area once the photo comes out.

When you are taking photographs, remember that you do not have to overcrowd it. You should have no reason to have a bunch of clutter or elements in your shot. Simple is elegant and artistic.

To take more unique pictures, try using limitation. For instance, make a goal to only photograph images that represent one concept, such as “red.” Focus your shooting to one spot or room and shoot 100 varied photographs. By placing limitations on yourself and your photography, you can sharpen your creative skills and work outside of the box.

Natural lighting is a key component. Choose a time when the sun remains lower in the sky, such as the morning or the afternoon. If the sun is very high, it will cause lots of shadows and even squinting subjects. If you do use sunlight, position your photo so that the sun is hitting the subject from the side.

TIP! If you plan to travel, make sure to pack any photography equipment thoughtfully. Pack extra accessories and lenses so that you won’t miss out on any photographs during your trip because of poor planning.

Silhouette Image

A silhouette can look lovely in any picture. A number of methods exist that can be used in silhouette creation, but a lot of photographers just use sunsets. Any time that brightness in a backdrop exceeds that of the subject, a silhouette will be created. You can establish artificial light in the background or position your subject before a source of light, such as a window, if you want to create a silhouette image. However, be aware that the silhouette image may call attention to a less-than-flattering aspect of your subject.

For more creative photos, experiment with unorthodox angles. Anyone can quickly snap a picture of a scene head-on. Look at things from a different perspective, such as from high up or ground level. You could also consider taking sideways or diagonal shots to make them more interesting.

TIP! Don’t overlook the time spent traveling to and from your vacation destination as an opportunity to take pictures. While location shots will be in abundance once you arrive at your destination, the journey itself is also worthy of being recorded.

Red Eye

Red eye in your photos can seem like something so small, but really, you will never frame or share that photo. You can prevent red eye by avoiding flash whenever possible. If you do need to use flash, have the subject not look directly into the lens. Many cameras have a special setting that prevents red eye.

Experiment with your camera’s shutter speeds. Consider using a slow speed, even as low as 1/30, rather than relying on the fastest shutter speed possible. Do you see that cyclist zooming along the road? You can take a crisp picture of the bicyclist, but the blurred background will give a greater sense of speed.

TIP! Take pictures of little things when traveling. These pictures will often bring back more memories than a picture of a landscape would.

You don’t want a photo on top of someone’s head, so squatting can produce nice results. This is a very simple solution to a problem that can drastically improve photo quality.

One easy way to be sure of getting good shots is to simply take lots of shots and cull out the bad ones later. If you are working in a digital medium, you can take advantage of this without additional cost. This is especially useful when you want to capture a certain mood or aspect of an image.

Hopefully, these tips have provided you with some very valuable information as well as given you a way to organize all of the thoughts and information you may have already had on photography. Look for opportunities to apply the guidance from these tips as you set up your next shot.

TIP! The majority of digital cameras now come with a feature that automatically uses the flash whenever the area you are photographing is too dim. Even though these may be convenient, you may want to get an external flash with different light ranges, so that you have more control over your lighting.