Photography can be an important part of your life because of its ability to capture special moments. You need to do all of your research, so that you don’t end up losing, messing up your photos, or missing important photo opportunities. There are some tips listed below from a Victoria Canada Family Photographer to help you begin bettering your photography skills.
If you’re doing a landscape shot, try and capture some movement in the shot. Whether it’s the wind blowing the trees or a wave crashing against the shore, capturing this movement can add an extra layer of depth to the photograph. If you’re going to try and capture movement, make sure you’ve got the shutter speed set correctly.
Pay attention to your background. Your main focus should be on your object, but you should use the background to support it. Avoid any unnecessary distractions and clean your background to report the attention on your object. Play with lines and perspective in your background to compliment the shape of your object.
Remember that photography is a good activity to practice alone. Your friends might get impatient and rush you while you are composing your pictures. If you have friends who enjoy taking pictures, do not let their vision influence your own compositions. The social aspect of photography comes later when you can look at your pictures with your friends.
Don’t restrict yourself to taking pictures of your subject from only one angle. Be creative and reposition your shots so that you can experiment with different angles. Shoot from several different heights and vantage points to open up possibilities you may not have otherwise envisioned.
Make use of negative space in your composition. Negative space is the area in your photos that does not contain your subject. Used correctly, large amounts of negative space can create interesting photographs. You also need to consider the effects of negative space when framing a photograph to get the best results.
If you like the look of old photographs, pick up a vintage camera. These will give your pictures an old-fashioned look and a historical vibe. They can be found in pawn shops and second hand stores. Using black and white film (200 speed), can also create that old-time look. You can have your photography printed on several types of paper to see which makes the most dramatic impact.
Are you aware of the “magic hours” in photography? This time period refers to the times of day known as dusk and dawn. These magical times create very soft and warm lighting conditions. There is only 45 minutes around sunrise and sunset to add this beautiful light to your shots, so plan accordingly.
Learn when to break the rules and defy conventions. The more you look at other people’s pictures, the more you will notice common treatment of popular objects. Do your best to adopt a different style. Approach conventions and trends as something you can learn from, but do not reproduce them in your art.
Never stand below your subjects when photographing people or animals. There is nothing more unflattering than looking up a person’s nose in a photograph, while the upward angle also distorts other facial features. In the very least, stand parallel to your subjects. If at all possible, position yourself at a slightly raised elevation to achieve the best results.
Keep a keen eye out for patterns, whether artificial or naturally occurring, when you are shooting a subject. Patterns, especially repeating patterns, make for something interesting to look at in a photograph. You can use patterns to your advantage and create backgrounds and interesting angles that enhance your subjects.
A great photography tip that can help you out is to remember to back up your photos on two different hard drives. The last thing you want is to realize that you’ve lost all your precious work. Avoid a catastrophe like this by simply backing up your files.
Photography can be very rewarding, but it can also be a lot of work. Regardless, if you know what to do and how to take better photos, you can get the shots that you want and need. So, do yourself a favor by doing your research and applying the above tips to your photography skill set.