Taking good photos is an essential skill since people these days perceive visual information more than ever before. You should have a vision, know how to create the composition, get the lighting right. As you can understand, being an excellent photographer is not only about pressing a shutter after all.
Learning photography will help you to capture important moments in your life, unleash creativity and tell stories.
These simple tips can help you deliver a clear message to the audience:
The rule of thirds
The rule of thirds is considered a basic photography technique. It involves dividing your shot by using vertical and two horizontal lines. You need to place important elements along these lines or at the points where the lines cross.
If you have difficulty imagining these lines, consider turning on the special mode in your camera.
It’s essential to follow this rule in order to underline the subject ( or a person) you want to take a photo of.
Edit your photos
To turn your photos into amazing works of art, consider using editing programs. If you are not an expert in Photoshop, feel free to use other editing software for photographers such as Skylum Luminar, Capture One, ON1 Photo RAW, Corel PaintShop Pro, or Adobe Lightroom. All of them are pretty straightforward and don’t require a lot of learning.
In case you are a fan of mobile photography, consider using the Lightroom app. Professional landscape lightroom presets can help you to capture the grandeur of the scenery. So, don’t hesitate to use a vast amount of filters, brushes, and templates to your advantage.
Do not overexpose
You should avoid overexposing highlights since it’s difficult to recover details from white areas. To do so, you should lower your camera’s sensitivity to light (ISO) from the very beginning. Reducing ISO to the minimum is essential if you take photos outdoors.
Also, you can use an ND filter (a neutral density filter) in order to reduce the intensity of wavelengths of the light.
Use a wide-angle lens
In order to create a sense of depth and make other people feel like they are there with you, consider using a wide-angle lens when taking photos of landscapes. You can place a person or an object in the foreground to emphasize a distance and give a sense of scale.
Use the exposure triangle
If you want to get better at photography, make sure to master Aperture, ISO, and Shutter Speed. These are the basics that can help you to get the desired results. At the very beginning, you can use the Auto Mode since it can help to adjust these controls.
However, you should learn how to do it yourself so that you can transfer your vision.
Use a polarizing filter
You might want to get yourself a polarizing filter in order to improve your landscape photography. A polarizer can help you to reduce reflections from metal, glass, water and snow. Also, it can help to improve the colours of foliage and the sky.
Avoid using flesh indoors
You should not use flesh indoors since it can make your portraits look unnatural. As a beginner, you need to know that it’s possible to take a good photo indoors without resorting to flash. For instance, you can push the ISO up (it should be around 1600) and use a wide aperture.
To avoid blur, you can also use an I.S. (imagine stabilization) or a tripod.
Create Motion
Capturing a subject in motion is quite challenging. To do so, you should choose 1/60 shutter speed and lock the focus. When the object is close, just press the shutter. Consider using a tripod in order to get clear movement lines and avoid shaking.
Practice as much as possible
You can read a dozen books about photography, but you will succeed only if you practice for long hours.
Don’t walk outside without your camera. You never know what can inspire you to take amazing photos. Later on, you will see that taking casual photos helps to become better at creating the composition. So, keep your camera attached to your hip and take a walk today.
Get inspired
Every photographer’s goal is to develop their own style. Even if you are a beginner, you should try to do the same. Eventually, it will help you to become a better photographer.
To find your own photography style and get inspired, follow other photographers on Instagram, Flickr, and 500px. Being part of a community helps to develop a creative eye and form a personal aesthetic.
Needless to say, there is no need to copy from others. Every person has a unique vision, you just need to learn how to capture it with your camera.