Simple Strategies On How To Get Great Looking Photos

By Augustus Mays


Taking a picture is as easy as pushing a button, but taking a beautiful photograph is a work of art. You can take great photos with a simple, point-and-shoot camera or get lousy shots with the most expensive, top-of-the-line camera. It is not the camera that produces wonderful images, it is the photographer. To help you take great photographs, here are some helpful tips.

An important tip to consider when dealing with photography is that you always want to use the rule of thirds when taking landscape pictures. This means that you want to have 2/3 of your shot land and 1/3 sky, or vice versa. This is a guide to help frame your shot correctly.

If you will be taking several pictures to be pieced together into one big photo, for example if you want a panoramic view, make sure that you turn of the auto focus on your SLR camera. If you do not do this, as you move your camera to take the different shots, the auto focus will automatically adjust. Instead you want to take the pictures with just one focus setting.

Pay attention to what is in the background when you are taking a picture. A relatively simple or plain background will better emphasize the subject of your picture. Make sure there is nothing distracting or embarrassing in the background that will draw attention away from the subject of your photograph.

When it's time to print your photographs from a digital camera, always choose papers made specifically for photographic images. Plain papers are uncoated and diffuse the ink, while inkjet photo papers have a sturdy base and are coated with ink-absorbing surfaces. Try a matte paper for an elegant, artistic finish.

Play with the shutter speed on your camera to catch unique and wonderful photos. If you have the right shutter speed, you can get beautiful photos that would normally happen so fast that the human eye couldn't process it fully. Try experimenting with shutter speed and a tripod at a stream or waterfall for some great photos.

Take your camera with you as often as you can. You never know when a great opportunity for a photo will present itself. Keep your camera out and ready if you expect to use it - by the time you get your camera out of the bag, get the lens cap off, and adjust your settings, your shot is gone. Hang the camera around your neck. Of course, if you're in a high-crime area, or if you don't want it to be obvious that you are a tourist, you may need to be a bit more discreet.

A good photography tip that can help you is to not be afraid of getting your work critiqued by other people. Putting your work out there can leave you feeling vulnerable, but it's very valuable to know how other people perceive your work. It can help you improve a lot.

Like any science or art form, photography is something you could study and read about for a good portion of your life. Or, you could just apply what you have read in this article and improve your photography immediately. Keep these tips in mind the next time your camera is in your hands and you'll see better images quickly.




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