When you decide to make a study of photography, your primary interest may be in developing the skill to take clear photos that express your personality. A little advice can certainly help you reach that goal. This article is just what you are looking for – tips that will get you started in the world of photography.
In order to produce professional results, a professional-quality camera is necessary. Cameras that are dSLR will result in the highest quality photographs. This type of camera is the number one choice among most professional photographers. That fact alone should testify to a DSLR’s potential in helping you improve your own photographs.
A dSLR is crucial if you are intent on taking good pictures. These professional quality cameras allow you to view your photograph as you take the shot. You should get a full-frame DSLR, as they have big image sensors and capture the most detailed shots.
You should always be on the lookout for photographers who inspire you. By taking the time to view the art created by other photographers, you will be inspired and reminded of all the different ways a subject can be shown in one single shot.
When shooting people, make sure to emphasize the foreground by blurring the background a little. If your background is focused it might take some focus off of your subject. An easy way to do this is to make sure that there is a larger distance between the subject and the background.
Don’t pack your equipment carelessly when traveling. Take extra batteries, cleaning accessories and different lenses. Try to pack as lightly as possible, without forgetting any of the essentials, so that your bag remains easy to manage during travel.
Photograph people often. It’s important and often legal that you gain permission before taking someone’s picture. If you are on a vacation and taking tons of photos, you can look back at them later and reminisce about particular events and times that are memorable. Many times the people in the photos do not seem particularly important or noticeable at the time you snap the picture, the reason you frame the shot to begin with will be clear when you look back at them. Aim for shots of casual candidness.
Larger Memory Card
Practice makes perfect, so buy the largest memory card you can for you camera, and enable yourself to take a plethora of practice shots. A larger memory card will allow you to take as many pictures as you need without worrying about running out of space on the card. Owning a larger memory card also means you can take shots in RAW format, increasing your options during the editing process.
Attempt to move closer to the person or thing that you want to take a picture of. There is nothing worse than the subject being so far away in a photo that it makes it hard to see colors and details. Get closer and make it easy to see what you are taking a photo of.
Allow your camera to automatically focus on the subject, then move slightly in such a way that the subject is no longer in the center of the frame. Centering is generally expected and not that interesting in a photo. Try to off-center your shots so that they are more enticing to the viewers.
You should find a good combination of ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Those three things affect your picture’s exposure. You want to avoid either overexposing or underexposing a picture except in some special cases. With a little experimentation, you can strike the right balance between the 3 settings to deliver the results you want.
Many people love to wear white when they are having their picture taken, but it’s not recommended. Unless you are having your portrait taken my a professional, your white clothing will not photograph well. A camera using its automatic settings will set the exposure to accommodate for the majority of the shades in the frame. White clothing usually gets washed out in these pictures.
If you are planning to photograph groups of people, you should offer them pointers in advance. This is especially true of wardrobe decisions. The resulting photos will be greatly enhanced if clothing is kept within the same general scheme of colors and shades. Perhaps advice your subjects to wear neutral colors that will blend with any surrounding. If the subjects will be wearing bright colors, offsetting them with black clothing pieces helps avoid a group of clashing colors in the picture.
Try putting a frame around your each of your shots. Not just placing a wooden or metal frame around your shots, but a “natural” one. If you observe all the angles and lines in your shot, you can frame them in the camera to take advantage of them and create a “natural frame.” This helps to build your compositional skills.
Try taking photos at different angles to make them more creative. Anyone can take a head on photo of a scene. You can try switching your photography style by trying a birds-eye view of your subject. Alternatively, try kneeling and looking up. An interesting technique involves framing your shots in a quick, diagonal motion; thus making it appear to have an almost unnatural composition.
Buy a solid, but cheap tripod for good pictures. Even the slightest movement can ruin a low-speed shot, due to the nature of the shutter speed. An inexpensive tripod can prevent image blur. You can skip the surprises and get better shots by using a tripod for your pictures.
It’s a good idea to take landscape shots using a tripod. Using a steady base under the camera can be great for landscapes, since you can adjust the settings without worrying about the camera shaking.
As made obvious by this article, photography is a wonderful activity that can record history in a unique way. Use these tips and hints to familiarize yourself with the art of photography, and to raise your skill level from novice to professional.