“10 Quick Tips to Improve Your Photography”
1 – Know your camera! Experiment!
Surprise! Every camera is different. Flash ranges and focus depths vary. Experiment by taking the same photo in several different ways. Try shooting with a flash, without a flash, 5 feet away, 10 feet away or close up. Get to know your camera’s strengths and weaknesses! Eventually you’ll be able to select the best circumstances for a given shot instinctively.
2 – Avoid camera shake!
Camera shake (or blur) is something that can affect the work of any photographer. Here are a couple of ways to avoid it. First, learn how to hold your camera properly! Use both of your hands, one around the body and one around the lens and hold the camera close to your body for support. If you are using a point and shoot, firmly grasp the camera on both sides. Also make sure your shutter speed matches the lens focal length. For example, if you’re using a 100mm lens, your shutter speed should be no lower than 1/100th of a second (for a handheld shot!). Use a tripod or monopod whenever possible! If you don’t have a tripod, improvise by using a tree, a wall, a table or a bench to stabilize your camera.
3 – Watch the background!
Keep your background simple to ensure the main image stands out readily. Make sure there are no distracting elements like poles or trees sticking through someone’s head.
4 – Use a flash outdoors!
Bright sun can create dark shadows, particularly around faces. Where possible, use your flash outdoors to eliminate the shadows and properly bring your subject into your photo with the sunny, well-lit background.
5 – Move in close! But be careful!
Uncle Joe or Baby Sue may think your camera is simply too close for comfort, but, some of the most interesting photographs are the ones where subtle details are brought to life. Facial expressions can’t be seen from a distance. You will also get better lighting results with close-up shots. But if your pictures turn out blurry, you are too close. Again, get to know your own camera’s optimal focus depth.
6 – Find some red! (THIS ONE IS MY FAVOURITE!!!)
Look for interesting points in a landscape or street scene with a flash of red to make subjects stand out from their surroundings. Ask your subject to wear a red scarf or hat or switch shirts to a red colour. Just like car colours, people are quickly drawn to red content in your shots.
7 – Learn when to take vertical pictures!
Most people inherently shoot horizontally! After all, that’s the way the camera was made! With a little practice, switching from horizontal to vertical will become a natural movement. If you’re shooting a subject or object that is taller than it is wide, turn your camera 90 degrees to maximize the area of the subject in your camera viewfinder. Sounds simple…but…!
8 – Take a lot of pictures!
The beauty of digital photography is the ability to take tens, hundreds, even thousands of photographs without paying a dime for developing. Simply transfer your images to a desktop or laptop computer when your camera card is full and keep shooting. You can always delete images you don’t want or like later.
9 – Submit your photos for critique!
There’s no better way to improve your photography than by sharing your photos with other photographers through a group or network. Don’t be afraid to accept a little constructive criticism about your work. You’ll find that other photographers, both novice and professionals alike have plenty of tips to share and offer.
10 – Selection!
This is likely the most valuable tip I can share! Choose only the best of your shots to show and share with the world! Leave the rest in a drawer, or on your computer. Showing someone every picture you have taken dilutes the impact of your best pictures and gets boring very quickly. You may want to show twenty pictures of the garden at the park because they are all quite good and you can’t decide which are the best but, trust me, you will be better off making that decision and showing only the few good ones.
Wishing you all the best!
Scott
“Photography helps people to see.“
Berenice Abbott