Photography can be a wonderful hobby and a great career but when you’re starting out you may need some tips to take those pictures that really blow your mind and wow the crowd. Here are ten tips that will hopefully help you take excellent pictures:
1: Take Pictures- Most of us use digital cameras today, and it doesn't cost anything to take more pictures. Always take lots and lots of pictures, there's no need to hold back, with digital images, you can always delete unwanted images if they are not to your expectations. Most photographers will tell you that lot of their impressive shots were accidents. So take out your camera and take lot of pictures.
2: Fill the Frame- Pick a point of interest in your image and focus on it, get
close to it and leave out anything that is not adding interest to your picture. This will make your subject stand out. There are some cameras that can help you with this technique using a Mode called Super Macro. This allows you get within a few inches of the subject and keeps the image crystal clear. This technique also works well with portraits, by getting close to your subject you can show great details such as facial expressions, moods, certain marks etc.
3: Angle your shots- Always explore your subject before taking a picture by walking around it and looking at it from different sides. Take your time and make your pictures interesting by shooting at different angles. Creating unique angles will give a new perspective to your subject and will make your pictures stand out.
4: Rule of thirds- One of the first things that you would learn in any photography class in rule of thirds. Imagine your viewfinder/ screen to be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. While taking a photograph put your subject on intersection of these lines. This technique creates a much more interesting composition as compared to always having your subject in the middle.
5: Attention to Background- Always pay close attention to the background of your picture. Move your subject or change your angle to avoid a distracting background or to incorporate aninteresting one. For example: Avoid having a tree or pole look like its coming out of someone's head. Avoid having your subject disappear in your background due to lack of contrast. Avoid having the glare from the sun block out your subjects head. In most cases, you want to have a distinct background and have your subject "pop" in front of it.
6: See the Light- Light is a very vital part of photography. If you want to improve your photography learn to see and identify the light. Wherever you go look around you and try to identify the light; its source, its color, etc. Look specifically for shadows and highlights. Having some experience with light would allow you to set your exposure and white balance correctly. Having the correct exposure and white balance can make all the difference in a photo. Use shadows and highlights to your advantage. Beware of accidentally casting your shadow in pictures.
7: Frame your photographs- Look for different ways to frame your subject with the surroundings. Shoot through branches, doors, trees, windows,arches, etc and use them as a frame for your subject. This creates unique and interesting images.
8: Post Processing- Some people like it others hate it. Nonetheless, post processing is an important part of digital photography. If you are interested in getting most out of your photography you should make yourself familiar with someof the basic post processing techniques. Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop are two very common softwares that are used by many photographers for post processing.
9: Envision the final product- While taking a picture try to envision how the picture will come out in the end, after the shoot and post processing. For example, if you want your final product to be black and white and you plan to achieve that in post processing, try to imagine that before taking the shot. This kind of planning makes a big difference in the final outcome of your work.
10: Tell a Story/Pick a Theme- Tell a story through your pictures. What makes a photographer great is his/her ability to effectively convey a message through their pictures. If someone is looking at your pictures of a particular shoot he/she should be able to grasp what you are saying through your pictures. For example, if someone is looking at your wedding shoot he/she should be able to see how wedding progressed and how people interacted with each other and the location. Viewer should be able to spot important people and events.
Conclusion: Photography is a beautiful art. Art is not bound by any rules and regulations, it flows freely from an artist to its creation. There are no strict rules of photography there are only guidelines to help artists learn. Therefore, break all the rules if you have to and just have fun with photography. Don’t let anything hold you back and you may be surprised by how great the outcome is.