Digital cameras offer so many functions and features,
photography can seem way too complex for the beginner. In
frustration many new photographers simply switch their
digital camera to auto, and never learn how to use it
properly.
If this sounds like you, keep reading, because I have good
news. There are some great ways to take better photos
without having to learn the complexities of your camera.
That's right - leave your camera on auto and still learn to
take great photos.
Of course I encourage anybody to learn and understand
aperture and shutter speed, the settings you will need to
understand to really improve as a photographer. However,
the best encouragement is to start getting results quickly,
so here are five easy tips to help you improve your
photography...the low-tech way!
Better Photography Tip#1. Take your photo in the best
possible light. You may have heard that the best light for
most photography is very early or very late in the day,
when the sun is low, and the light is soft and colourful.
This is a good rule to follow most of the time. Not only is
the light more attractive, you can also avoid the contrast
and heavy shadows of midday.
Some subjects actually work better on cloudy days. For
animals and people, cloudy weather softens the light and
overcomes the problem of your subject squinting into the
light. In the forest, overcast skies prevent the heavy
contrast that is a problem on sunny days.
Better Photography Tip#2. Landscape photos: create a more
interesting composition. Many photos can be made more
interesting not by zooming right in on the subject, but by
zooming out, or standing further back to capture more of
the surroundings. The important thing is to use make sure
you use the surroundings to add impact to the picture.
For example, let's say you are photographing an old rustic
farmhouse. You could add even more character by using a
line of fence posts, or a gravel driveway, to lead the eye
into the picture. Or when photographing a waterfall, you
could try going a little further downstream, to shoot the
creek with the waterfall in the background for a more
interesting angle.
Better Photography Tip#3. Sunset and Sunrise. Everyone
loves taking sunset (and sunrise) photos. A brilliant
sunset sky can make a great photo, but you can make it even
better by looking for a good subject in the foreground. The
key is to find something that stands out against the sky,
with a an outline people can recognize; a tree, a windmill,
even a row of power poles. The subject does not have to
dominate the photo; in fact it is probably best if it only
takes up about ten percent of the composition so that the
sky remains the starring attraction. But if you can create
a striking silhouette, you will immediately add character
to your sunset photograph.
Better Photography Tip#4. Animals (And People). Portrait
style photos are usually spoiled by a distracting
background. When you take a photo of a friend, a pet, or an
animal, you don't want the surroundings to take attention
away from the subject.
So here's the trick. Don't stand close to your subject and
take the photo with a regular or wide-angle lens. Stand
further back and zoom in with your largest lens
magnification. This will have two results. First, it will
reduce the area behind and around the subject that is
visible in the photo. Second, it will minimize the depth of
field, which means only your subject should be in focus.
Anything in front or behind the subject will be out of
focus, and will not cause a distraction.
Better Photography Tip#5. Concentrate. Sometimes all it
takes to make a photo a success is to move a little to the
left or right, or zoom in or out just a little more. If you
just point the camera in the right general direction and
click, you are bound to fail most of the time. If you slow
down and really examine what you can see in the viewfinder
before you press the button, your success rate will impove.
Simple things to look out for include; trees and
power-poles appearing to grow out of the head of the
subject (move yourself or the subject to a better
position); litter on the ground (pick it up); aircraft or
distracting clouds in the sky (wait for them to pass by);
blurry branches on a windy day (wait for conditions to
settle for a moment). All these things and more can ruin a
photo, and they can all be remedied by taking a good look
to make sure your picture has captured everything you want,
and nothing you don't want.
So there you have some easy tips for good photography
without getting hung up on technology. Above all, pay
attention to tip #5 and slow down to concentrate on what
you are doing. The other golden rule is to take lots of
photos. Experience will teach you a lot more than being
told what to do. Remember with digital cameras it doesn't
cost you anything to keep on snapping. With patience and
attention to detail, you will be taking better photos in no
time - guaranteed!
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Andrew Goodall's top selling ebooks on photography for
beginners have already helped thousands of people learn the
skills better photography. Find them at
http://www.naturesimage.com.au and sign up the online
newsletter for even more tips...it's free!
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