There is more to photography than a clear picture. Photography is both a science and an art. There are so many different techniques that can be used to make your pictures stand out. Attention to detail, a taste for beauty, and a sense of interest are all vital parts of really good photography. The following tips will help you become a better photographer.
Shutter Speed
Try using different shutter speeds and remember what works for a specific situation. Photography lets you capture moments in a split-second and allows you to blur together time periods that are large. A fast shutter speed lets you grab objects in motion and a shutter speed that is slow allows you to capture quiet natural settings.
Keep your technique simple to get the best pictures. Most of the time, taking a spectacular picture does not require you to adjust a ton of settings, including the color and motion ones.
Pack all of your equipment with care when you are getting ready for a trip. Pack however many lenses you anticipate using, and don’t neglect to throw in cleaning accessories and backup batteries. Don’t take more than you need, and think about what you can carry for your trip.
Take shots from a wide variety of angles to catch different perspectives. Try interesting angles such as shooting from above, underneath, moving from side to side of the subject, or holding the camera at waist level.
Pre-focus your camera and move slightly. Your subject will not be in the exact center of your picture. Viewing one photo after another where the subject is perfectly centered in the shot can become boring in a hurry. Shooting a photo that is not exactly centered on the subject may produce more interesting results for your viewers.
Candid Shots
When you are just getting started taking wedding photos you should take some candid shots of the minor details, like a makeup bag of a flower. Candid shots can sometimes result in a very special photo.
One way to exercise your creative muscles is to put limits on how you take pictures. You could restrict yourself to taking pictures intended to represent one concept (like “sweetness”) all day, for instance. Make an attempt to take 100 photos from a similar point of view or from the same small location. This can help you to be more creative by forcing you to step outside of your comfort zone.
When you take your pictures, use the white balance settings on your camera. This gives you a much greater degree of control over the appearance and mood of your photographs, and can often produce stunning results. It can be tricky to learn at first, but learning to use this useful tool will allow you to be more creative with your pictures.
Practice Shots
Get in as many practice shots as you can, especially when photographing a new environment or subject. Every photo opportunity introduces obstacles that are hard to predict in advance. Only experience can help you understand these obstacles and plan for them. Lighting can change often, do not be afraid to take more practice shots in between your actual pictures.
A silhouette can look lovely in any picture. Many people rely on the sun to create a natural silhouette; however, there are many different ways to reproduce this effect. Any background that produces bright light will display the subject in silhouette, providing the subject is not as bright as the background. You can make a silhouette by creating a flash from outside of the frame or also by directing the subject to stand before a brightly lit window. Keep in mind that outlines on a face or body may highlight some unpleasant features.
When shooting photographs in the wilderness or other natural environment, give your surroundings some extra consideration. Look around and appreciate the scene as a whole, then take your picture. When you’re done, attempt to leave no trace of yourself behind. If you find a great photographing location, maintain it in its original state for others to use.
Make sure you are aware of what situations are appropriate for the use of the camera’s flash function. Don’t just turn it off and forget about it. In many cases, the light from the flash could ruin the overall effect. If you are taking photos in a low light setting, this is another situation when the flash should be turned back on.
You can now see that taking a good photograph is more than taking a well-lit, sharp picture. You’ll be able to increase your photo quality when you do.