AUTOGRAPHS

Photography 101 – How To Improve Your Pictures

Photography is a wonderful form of expression that can take years of practice, incredible patience and a dedication to continual improvement if you truly want to master it.  This can seem intimidating to the new or inexperienced photographer, but there’s really no reason for alarm.  Many of the more technical skills of photography can be learned gradually by taking lots of pictures over time so if you love photography this won’t be a tough goal to achieve.  In order to make things a little easier, here are five things you can do to start improving your pictures right away:

Go Vertical

The simple vertical turn of your camera is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your daily shooting.  Most photographers forget about the simple technique to turn your camera vertical (instead of horizontal) and miss the opportunity to better compose their subject.  Think about your framing before you shoot and if a horizontal shot doesn’t seem quite right, it’s time to go sideways.

Take a Different Look

Changing your perspective is another habit you should focus on in your daily shooting.  Standing with the camera pointing head-on at your subject isn’t always the best way to shoot a photograph, so consider trying your shots from a different direction.  For instance, try shooting a portrait of a friend while you kneel or lie on the ground – this photo will be far more compelling than the normal straight shot. And when you go to frame the photo, just make sure to put it in a picture frame that complements the angle.

Don’t Fight the Light

When broken down to its core elements, photography is merely light and the way it interacts with objects.  Understanding how to utilize light is key to great photography, so don’t be afraid to play around with it and see what happens.  Always be willing to move around so you can get the best possible light and make sure to know the optimal range of your flash so you can use it properly.  Try to think outside of the box when it comes to lighting and try backlighting subjects in different ways so you can see what kind of impact this has on your images.

Use Your Camera for Cropping

This one is more difficult to get used to, but it is critical that you frame your images correctly.  Try and compose your photographs so that only the parts of the story you want to tell are visible in the frame, and leave the rest out.  If you’re having difficulty with finding the perfect setup, try changing your distance to the subject and if all else fails remember that you can always go vertical.  This is less of an issue thanks to the abundance of editing software out there, but it’s always best to try and get these things done in-camera. And if you can’t do that you can always crop the pictures when you go to put them in 4×6 picture frames.

Upgrade Your Auto Focus Camera

Although upgrading your auto focus camera to an SLR does cost money, it is an easy solution to taking better pictures.  However, the primary reason for using an SLR over a “point and shoot” digital camera is that it will allow you to manually adjust your aperture, focus, and exposure – all critical aspects of great photography.  Additionally, unlike many small digital cameras, what you see through the viewfinder is exactly what you get out of an SLR.  Finally, SLR cameras will provide you with tons of flexibility in accessories such as additional lenses and filters.  You may not need these things now, but they’ll come in handy when you’re ready to use them.

As with any skill, the best way to improve your photographs is by practicing as much as you can.  This, combined with a healthy regimen of reading up on great photographers and visiting photo exhibits at the local museum, will take your photographs from “okay” to “incredible.”  Now all you have to do is get out there and start taking pictures!

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