Anyone can learn to improve their photography skills by keeping in mind a few guidelines before pushing the shutter button. Composition, angles, and lighting are keys to turning ordinary photos into extraordinary pictures. Practice improves proficiency, so the more photographs you take, the better your chances at improving your picture-taking skills.
Take an extra memory card on vacation or download pictures each evening so you don’t have to worry about only taking perfectly composed and lit pictures.
Composition Tips for Photography
Think of the camera’s viewfinder or digital screen as a picture frame. Will the picture look better horizontal or vertical? Look at the shape of the subject to determine the best direction for holding the camera.
Fill the frame with your subject so people know what you were focusing on in the picture. Don’t get too close to a subject or it will blur. Check the camera’s manual to learn how close it can focus. When necessary, use the zoom option on the camera.
Eliminate clutter from the background. Decide it you have to move closer, use the zoom, move your subject (if possible), or change your angle on the topic of the photo. Consider framing a subject with a window, pickets in a fence, trees, etc to draw attention.
Arrange people or props in a triangle instead of rows. This creates a sense of movement in the picture.
Photo Shoot Lighting
When possible, shoot with the light behind you or to your side so that the subject doesn’t come out to dark (which can happen if the sun is behind the focus on the picture). Also, try to take pictures early or late in the day when the lighting won’t cast harsh shadows.
Tips for Photography Angles
The photographer might also have to squat or stand on a chair or a rock to get the best possible view of the subject. If the subject is low to the ground, get low so you are focusing head-on. Of course, shooting from above or below a person, animal, or object may create an exciting view of the subject matter.
Try to predict what will happen, particularly if shooting pictures of subjects that will move. Watch the movements of a baseball player, dancer, or kids playing games. A digital camera takes pictures a moment after the button is pushed so it takes practice to learn when to snap a picture with a particular camera.
Give yourself a goal of taking a hundred pictures or more each day. Keep your camera with you and take pictures in a variety of situations and of numerous topics. Don’t expect every photograph to be perfect; only a few may be outstanding, even with extra consideration before snapping a picture. The more pictures you take, the better your chance of improving your skills and capturing memorable images of your vacation.
