As I get more and more people visiting my website I get more and more people asking me to help them improve their photography. Becoming a good photographer doesn’t happen over night. It takes years of crafting your techniques and creating a vision that is uniquely yours. However, there are some simple things you can do to improve your photography right away.
1. Less is More
One of the most dramatic ways you can improve your photographs is to quit putting soo much in the frame. Having too many elements in your photo can take away from the overall photo. Next time you are stopping to take a photo, actually look at what you are photographing, what is it about that scene that made you want to take a photo? Okay, now eliminate everything else. Instantly your photograph will become more powerful.
2. Use a Tripod
Using a tripod does a few things that will improve your photography. First, it will help you take much sharper photographs. Next to my camera and my lenses my tripod is my most treasured possession. When your camera is on a stable platform you will eliminate camera shaking. This is especially true in low light levels. Secondly, it forces you to slow down. When people are using a tripod they tend to take their time and compose their photographs.
3. Take your Photographs at the right times of Day
The hour or two after sunrise and before sunset are what is called the Golden Hour. During this time the sun is lower in the sky. What this means is that the light coming from the sun has to go through more atmosphere before it gets to you. This makes the light soft and golden, hence, the Golden Hour.
When you photograph people during this time you will notice that the light isn’t nearly as harsh as during mid-day. The soft light will help hide any imperfections on their skin. With the light being softer you will find they won’t be squinting in your photos.
For Landscapes it is a very pleasing light to shoot with. It also helps make the shadows smoother eliminating a lot of highlights.
Whether you are photographing people or landscapes taking your photos during these two times will go a long way to improve your photographs.
4. Shoot from a different Angle
This is especially true if you are photographing a location that is photographed by hundreds or thousands of people, such as a tourist location. If you want your photo to be different from the guy who took the shot before you, it needs to actually be different. Put your camera lower, higher…look for an angle that nobody else is shooting from. Move further away, move closer. The bottom line is to get a photograph that is different from everyone else’s you need to take a photograph that is different from everyone else’s.
5. Learn what Aperture is..and Apply it
The aperture at which you choose to set your camera on will influence a number of things including your shutter speed and the depth of field. A camera can shoot at any aperture but a lens has a range it can typically shoot with. To dictate to your camera which aperture you want it to use you will need to put your camera in either Aperture Priority Mode or Manual.
A smaller number (1.2, 1.4, 2.8) is a large aperture. A large aperture allows you to obtain a faster shutter speed and decrease or eliminate blur in your photos. It also isolates your subject from the background creating Bokeh. This is where your subject is in focus but the background and sometimes the foreground is out of focus, isolating your subject.
A larger number (11, 22, 32) is a small aperture. Using a large aperture such as this will decrease your shutter speed and also increase the depth of field. Increasing the depth of field will sometimes completely eliminate the blurring of the background, Bokeh, depending on the lens.
I could go on and on about aperture, but these are quick tips. So, learn a little about aperture and apply it to your photos.
Well, there you go. 5 quick tips that can improve your photography instantly. With enough practice you too can photograph the pictures you have always wanted to. If you have any questions use the comment field below and I will be sure to answer them!