Here are some quick tips to help you with your photography success.
Tip 1 – Use All Your Available Space
Don’t be afraid to use all of the space in your photo. If you want to take a picture of something, it’s ok for it to take up the whole shot with very little background showing.
The key is to keep the photo free from distractions. So, if you have half a plant in the corner of your background, that is what people will be looking at rather than the primary subject of your photo. In that case, remove the plant prior to taking the photo.
Tip 2 – Study Forms
This is a vital aspect of photography. Understand the form in your photography. Rather than seeing objects, see the form and the angles of your subject. This is art. Photography is art. It is an opportunity to express yourself in your art.
Tip 3 – Motion In Your Photos
You do not want motion in your photographs. If you do, you end up with blur. This is not ideal. In a perfect world, you want stationary subjects. Also, learn patience. For example, if you are taking a picture of a chihuahua sleeping, you want to have the patience to wait for him and ensure that he is not disturbed from his sleeping position.
With all that said, there are times to use motion. In that case, the motion is sometimes used for an artistic flair but should only be used with an understanding of how to use it for that purpose. Sometimes, this skill can be acquired through a trial and error practice process.
Tip 4 – Understanding How to Maximize the Use (or Non-Use) of Color
The use of extreme color or black and white can be used to grab attention. The key thing is to understand the project. Understand what the goal or objective is with the final outcome of the photograph. For example, if the objective is NOT to grab attention, but to make more of a subtle or gentle artistic impression, then this is not what you would want (extreme color or black and white).
Tip 5 – Get Closer To Your Subject
Do not be afraid to get up close to your subject. It is probably kind if you let them know that this may be the case so that you do not scare him or her by getting within their personal space.
Some of the most stunning photos can be taken by getting candid shots up close.
Remember, as well, that you do have post-production available to make any needed edits to the photo.
Tip 6 – Shutter Lag
Many times, you can get the correct shutter lag by turning off the auto-focus. This issue really only existed in the past. It is a bogus issue, now that we have more professional cameras, even available in the affordable range for the novice photographer. But, if you are curious about historical tips, this would be one of them.
Tip 7 – Shutter (and capturing images from video)
For the action shots, you want the highest shutter speed possible so that you can capture that instead of the blur.
One of the questions that comes up is if video could be used to capture the “action shot” for a photographic output. The reason that this question is asked is that in this age of video, one technique is to capture the action using video and then pull snaps from the video, for the photography output.
This technique is used by quite a few web novice photographers. However, the resolution is only 25% of what could be captured with a quality camera by a professional photographer. This is why Michael doesn’t even care to suggest this technique, even though it is used by many web professionals (but not necessarily photography professionals).
Tip 8 – Continuous Shots (Shutter)
To use a pan method, you would need to be able to capture shots continuously. It helps if you have a digital camera that can do that.
This step is a bit of a continuation of Tip 7. A high shutter speed can be used and this will give you the ability to capture some high quality (high resolution) action shots, but fewer of them than what may be expected (an opportunity to practice the skill of managing expectations).
Tip 9 – Taking Stunning Nighttime Shots
It is important if you are taking nighttime shots, to do it right.
Otherwise, you have not-so-great photos. Or, a black photo with no subject.
Nighttime shots take knowing how to use light or the lack thereof in order to capture the magic. In addition it takes the patience of Job and practice, practice, practice.
Maybe one out of 1000 nighttime shots will be magical while one out of 100 regular daytime shots could be spectacular. One needs to know how to position whatever light is used (referencing artificial light) in order to capture what is needed or desired and even then, there is the element of surprise and capturing the magic when least expected and not capturing the magic after one has expended an exceeding quantity of time and effort. This is where the patience is needed.
Tip 10 – Know Your Stuff (Use the Manual)
While it is great to read the manual that comes with your digital camera, a more up-to-date method is to find an online version of your manual (most vendors keep an online version available and update it). Download that version, print it, and take it with you in the field to practice the techniques (and develop your own and then blog about it to the world!).
We don’t want to waste paper, but there is no loss if your printed out version gets lost in the field. And, you can make notes (save them on the computer, too) that will help you in the field. You can probably make the notations on the digital version on your computer, but you can definitely write in the notes on your printed version, as well. See the benefits?
In Summary
Now, with all of these tips, you are armed to create fabuous and stunning photographs and you have moved a few steps forward in your own skill set, eh?