Photography is so much more than taking a picture. It is an art and a science combined when done correctly. This article will provide some of the most important tips to ensure that you are treating this hobby with respect and therefore coming away with quality end results.
Take your pictures quickly. The longer you hesitate, the better the chance that your subject will move away, break their pose, or become tired and stop smiling. Start taking shots as quickly as you can, and don’t worry about getting the camera perfect before the first shot. The faster you shoot and the more photos you take, the better your chances are of getting a good one.
Be selective when taking your photos. Find exactly what you want in that photo, and remove anything else from the shot. If you’re trying to take a picture of a flower, you don’t want a bunch of other flowers or trees in the shot. Get as close and focused on the subject as possible to get the best possible photo.
To create photographic images that resemble paintings, try having your photos printed onto matte or semi-gloss papers, then painting them by hand with photographic oils or pastels. These items can be picked up at most art supply stores and many camera shops. The most popular paints are made by Marshall’s and are created specifically for use on photographs.
Try out different approaches to scale, expressions and perspectives. If a mundane subject is situated to make it appear out of place or out of proportion with its surroundings, the resulting picture will be especially intriguing. Work on each of your shots to get a fresh take on something familiar.
Most often, your subject looks directly into the camera lens. Shake things up a bit by having your subject look away from the lens and focus on something in the distance. You could have them look at something in the frame, such as a person or flower too.
The most important thing to remember about lighting when taking photographs is this: the less light you have to create from artificial resources, the better. By all means, use a flash if you need to, but always strive to use natural light if at all possible. Even when shooting indoors, open the windows, and let mother nature’s light stream in.
When framing your photo, always think about the rule of thirds. This should actually be the rule of ninths, because you are envisioning your photo space into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Try to place your subject to the left or right, top or bottom, instead of dead center in the picture. This will make the viewer’s eyes move around the image instead of stareing straight into it.
Set your camera to the lowest native ISO it has. This means that your camera will produce a darker image, which can be edited in a photo program with less noise than a picture taken at a different ISO range. This gives you more flexibility to edit your pictures to your satisfaction.
Get views of different angles of the subject or scene that you are shooting. Many amateurs will not take the time to move around the subject to find the best angle, if you do, you’ll find there are many different photos to be taken of one subject.
In conclusion, it is important to understand that photography involves so much more than pointing a camera and pushing a button. In order to consider what you do as art, there are certain standards that you usually need to adhere to. Hopefully you will be able to use the information in this article to your advantage.
