Photography tips

Photography is an art form, a hobby and a profession. Whether your goal is to shoot pictures of your family birthdays or of national events, there are a few basic tips everyone with a camera should follow.

Professional-grade photography is a complex skill that requires knowledge, experience, equipment and a bit of natural talent. These tips might not turn you into a legend, but they’re a good place to start.

1. Do not shoot into the light, shoot with the sun behind you. Harsh sunlight is one of the easiest ways to ruin great photos.

2. Never shoot a subject that is backlit, with harsh light behind them. When shooting outside make sure to use a fill flash, it will help eliminate darkness on the subject’s face.

3. Always check focus before shooting. Make sure the focus gives you the look you desire.

4. Look at everything in the frame the background, foreground, the subject. Eliminate any background clutter and look for pots, poles, etc. “growing out of people’s heads”. Remember, it looks three dimensional to you, but on the photo everything will be onedimensional.

5. Get as close to your subject as possible. Get close without being intrusive. Photos taken close are more intimate.

6. Stoop, lay on the ground or stand on a chair. Don’t just shoot things from eye level. Angle increases interest.

7. Look for shadows in your shot and eliminate them if at all possible.

8. Photos are more interesting if they have faces in them. Avoid taking pictures of the backs of heads. Quality scenic photos are rare and must be exceptional.

9. Get a few filters and learn to use them. Polarizing filters and cross filters are easy to use and will change the look of a shot.

10. When shooting, don’t stop at one shot. People blink and the perfect shot might be a second after what seemed like a perfect shot. Check your light between sets, but keep shooting.

11. Plan ahead. Survey your environment, get an idea of your subject’s personality. That way you can spend all of your shooting time wisely.

12. If you’re shooting a wedding, portrait, or an event where you’ll be working closely with the subject, spend some time with them before you start shooting. They’ll be more relaxed and you’ll have a better idea of what kind of photos they want. Both lead to better photos.

13. Before you shoot, do a mental check of all of your camera and settings. Is your camera set at the right speed, exposure? Is your battery charged and do you have the correct flash?

Related Blogs

• Related Blogs on Art Form

• Related Blogs on Background Clutter

• Related Blogs on Blink