Photography is so much more than simply attempting to take clear shots of a subject in good lighting. This particular media is rich and complex, like an art. This art form has a lot of different techniques. Use your sensibility and creativity to find interesting subjects. Take a look at the tips below to start getting more artistic with your photographs.
Keep the process you use for taking pictures as simple as you can. When photographing a specific event, set your camera’s features on the appropriate settings ahead of time.
To improve the quality of your picture, decrease the distance between your camera and your subject. This method allows you to minimize backgrounds, so that the focus is on your subject. You also get the opportunity to allow your subject’s face to be the star of the shot; this is especially impactful with portraiture. If your subject is not close, you tend to miss many of the little details.
Try not to capture a gray sky in your pictures. Including too much of a gray sky will make your pictures appear muted and washed-out. If you cannot avoid capturing an overcast sky in your shot, opt for black and white rather than color photos. Blue skies look magnificent in photographs; however, you will still need to take light into consideration.
Realize if you want professional pictures, you need to use a high quality camera. Consider investing in a DSLR camera if you want really nice pictures. Pro photographers don’t settle for anything less than a DSLR, so neither should you.
Pay attention to your lighting, and adjust the white balance if necessary. If you leave the white balance unchanged, photos taken inside can take on a yellow hue because of the artificial light. By changing the white balance feature on your camera this will be reduced and you will notice a whole different quality to your photographs. You will see your photos come out much more professionally.
Look at other photographers’ work for inspiration. Looking at the work of other photographers will remind you that there are endless ways to capture a moment.
Take pictures of strange and interesting things when you travel to a new place. These photographs might feel unimportant, or even a bit silly, as you’re taking the pictures; but they can add to your memories and help recreate an interesting story. Oddball items you come across, street signs and paper memorabilia can be great subjects.
The instant you leave your house when traveling, begin taking photos. While shooting on location will provide you with some great shots, you should also view as the entire trip as a means to capture some great pictures. Take pictures of the journey. An airport provides lots of interesting, unique subjects for taking great pictures.
Take down notes whenever you are taking pictures. When you look at your hundreds of shot, it could be difficult to remember where they were taken or your feelings at that time. Get a small notepad and make sure you write down the number of the picture next to your description.
Make sure your batteries are always charged so that you never miss an incredible shot. Digital cameras use up a large amount of power, particularly when you’re using an LCD screen. Therefore, you should ensure your batteries are always completely charged prior to using the camera. Another good suggestion is to bring along spare camera batteries so that you will never miss a photo opportunity.
Finding another photographer to mentor you or joining a club can improve your photography skills. You can learn from others and pick up new ideas, but avoid letting their style take over your own. Looking at shot comparisons can show the different points of view found in photography.
Shoot photos of a wide range of individuals. Always get their permission first. People from foreign lands add authenticity, character and liveliness to photographs. What you should look for is casual clothing and candid expressions.
There is no special formula that automatically produces a skilled photographer. Keep shooting pictures, and get experienced at doing so. Digital cameras give you the ease of not having to develop or keep all your photographs. Your proficiency will improve as you analyze your shots to see what you could have done differently if you could take the picture again.
Memory Card
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. This can be a great opportunity to get pictures.
One of the best ways to capture perfect shots is to take many photographs of your subjects. Keep this in mind when purchasing a memory card, so you can be sure to get one with a large storage capacity. A 16 gigabyte memory card will store all of your photos without the necessity of changing memory cards during a photo shoot. Owning a larger memory card also means you can take shots in RAW format, increasing your options during the editing process.
Use natural lighting when possible because it isn’t harsh. If you are taking outside shots, the sun should be low for optimal effects. Late afternoon or early morning are the best options. When the sun sits high in the sky, harsh shadows or squinting subjects can become an issue. You should position yourself and your subject so that the light hits your subject on the side.
Be sure to find a subject who is interesting and compelling. You always need good subjects, it doesn’t matter how talented you are or how good your gear is. Chose inanimate objects that inspire you, or search for a willing participant that can act as your muse.
When you’re scheduled to photograph more than one person in a shot, give them advice beforehand that will help them choose clothing for the best staging. They don’t have to wear the same colors, but they should try complementary shades to produce the best results. If you are photographing outside, then recommend neutral colors that will complement the natural backdrop. If the subjects will be wearing bright colors, offsetting them with black clothing pieces helps avoid a group of clashing colors in the picture.
Be more creative using limitation. For example, set a goal for the day to only shoot images that represent a single concept, such as “sweet.” Try to shoot 100 different photographs from the same point or within the same room. By enforcing this limitation, your mind has to find new ways to express the subject in a great photograph and this causes you to think beyond your normal comfort-zone.
Although you may want to have the camera set on the lowest possible setting so that you can have more images on your card before downloading them, you should ensure that you understand exactly how much print quality you’re giving up. The lowest setting should only be used if the sole purpose of your photos will be to display them on your computer screen.
Before making travel plans, have a list handy of places you’d like to see and ideas you’d like to photograph. If you’re looking for ideas, a great place to start is by checking out postcards. The postcards will show images of places and subjects that people would like to see and would be a welcome addition to your portfolio.
Toying with the focus can create a more interesting photograph. Using a smaller depth of field (f-stop) value will emphasize the subject and de-emphasize the background. This is a good technique to use when the subject is up close, such as in portraits. The larger your f-stop is it will give you more depth, and this simply means that your whole photograph will be clear and focused. This can improve the scope and definition in landscape shots.
Is taking pictures where the subject has been rained upon something you need to do? Sometimes, the weather does not oblige; however, you can create your own rain by carrying around a water spray bottle with you to spray your subjects.
Viewers should be able to clearly see the subject of each photo you take. When a photo is properly focused, the result will be perfectly composed shots. Especially when starting out, your main subject should be in view and centered. Let the background take care of itself.
For a creative touch, experiment with the focus. Lowering the f-stop will focus on the subject of your photograph, and blur the background of the picture. This type of photography is great for portraits, because the subject is usually near the camera and is meant to be the main focus. Bigger f-stops will make the depth of field greater resulting in the entire photo being in focus. This is ideal for landscape photographs.
Add a new dimension to your photos with silhouettes. While most people use the sunset to create a silhouette, there are other methods. If the background coloration is considerably lighter than the subject, a silhouette may appear behind the focal point. The perfect silhouette can be achieved by positioning a bright artificial light behind your subject or by placing your muse in front of some very bright windows. However, it’s important to remember that unfavorable features may be emphasized in the outline of someone’s body or face.
You can use creative methods to produce a silhouette image. While most people use the sunset to create a silhouette, there are other methods. If your background is brighter than your subject, you could see a silhouette. You can easily create this effect by having a flash go off behind your subject or even just using a brightly lit window. Keep in mind that outlines on a face or body may highlight some unpleasant features.
Finding a type or brand of equipment that works well for you is essential if you want to develop photography as a lifetime hobby. While some people only select name brands, there is no harm in testing out all the manufacturers that are available.
Red Eye
You can make just about any subject look interesting just by adjusting the settings of your camera, capturing the shot from a different angle or using different lighting. Try playing with the settings before you go and take the shot, you will then know how it will differ.
Red eye is so ubiquitous that a lot of people accept it, but it’s still a blemish that can spoil an otherwise-perfect photo. Avoid your flash to prevent this, though if you must use the flash, do not have the subject look directly at the camera. There are also cameras out there that have a feature that eliminates red eye.
You are at the mercy of nature when it comes to lighting and taking a landscape photograph. Sometimes, it is difficult to find a more suitable area for this type of photo. How do you solve this dilemma? You can use a program, such as Photoshop, for creating a gradient filter that can counterbalance the contrasting light.
Photography involves more than just snapping good shots of people or objects. Doing so can really improve the quality of the pictures you take.
Balance is essential in photography. If you pay attention to how your setting will work within the confines of the photograph, you can create gallery-quality prints. If you end up with some distracting images, use photographic editing software to crop your image.