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Being a new photographer can feel challenging and a little overwhelming, but luckily we have some tips to help you with your photography journey. It is such a gratifying hobby since you can see the results of your creativity instantly.
One of the best things about photography is you can do it anywhere you would like. It is not limited to a particular location, and you can learn to take unique pictures wherever you find yourself. It could be your city streets, your neighbor’s farm, or the ocean waves.
With a few helpful and essential photography tips, you will begin to feel more confident of getting out and exploring the world around you through a new lens.
1. Take Your Time
This tip is for the beginner photographer and seasoned professional. Take your time to set up your picture just how you want it. This tip does not apply if you are taking pictures of wildlife or your kids running by.
However, when you are just starting photography, it helps tremendously to take the extra few minutes to consider the lighting, make sure your settings are correct, and line up your composition.
Have you ever taken a picture that you thought was perfect and then later noticed something was terribly out of place? Taking the time to make sure your image turns out exactly how you imagine it will help create a picture go from “just okay” to fantastic.
Pausing to survey what is around you will help you enjoy the process more. You may want to pull out your camera and snap away, but photography is about enjoying the present moment and trying to capture that feeling in your image.
2. Use the Camera You Already Have
As with any new hobby, it can be tempting to dive deep into purchasing all the best lenses and gear possible. However, expensive camera gear does not help you take better pictures if you do not know how to use your camera correctly. The choice of camera also depends on the purpose, if you want to capture a live sports game, an endzone camera system is the right choice for you.
Start with what you have and practice learning the basics before upgrading to different lenses and professional-level cameras. Lenses are costly, so you will want first to discover what type of photography you enjoy the most. Basic level DSLRs will come with the kit lens, covering most pictures you will want to take at first.
Photophique is an online photography magazine that offers tutorials, photography news, and gear reviews so you can learn more about the camera you have and how to use it.
3. Pay Attention to the Light
It is essential to pay attention to the light around you when taking pictures. Learning how to operate your camera under different lighting circumstances will help you create the images you want.
Proper exposure is a photograph that is not too dark or too bright according to how the photographer intended. If you focus on one thing when you first learn how to start photography, you must learn aperture, shutter speed, and ISO and how they all work together to create the images you want.
4. Move Around
When you are beginning photography, you may feel shy or awkward and fall into the trap of planting your feet in one spot. Break out of your comfort zone and move around! The best angle may involve you crouching down or even laying on the ground.
If you constantly take pictures from the same height or the same angle, it can be repetitive and boring. Moving around enables you to get different tips and some great photos you may have missed otherwise.
5. Tell a Story
This particular tip coincides with taking your time. Before snapping your following picture, think about the feelings or story you wish to portray with your image.
For example, if you are taking a picture of a father and son having a pleasant conversation on a bench, but the background is distracting filled with trashcans and cars, it will not tell a compelling story.
However, if you take the same picture but use a shallow depth of field and blur out the distracting background, only the father and son will focus. The image with only the father and son in focus is a much more inviting image and tells a beautiful story of their relationship.
6. Experiment
Try different types of photography and learn new techniques. There is always something new to learn, which makes this hobby so wonderful.
Experiment with your shutter speed to either freeze motion or to create movement throughout your images. Slow the shutter speed down to allow soft, flowy movement of a waterfall, or you can use a faster shutter speed to stop the tiny drops of rain as your child plays.
Photography is fantastic because you can truly experiment and have total creative control over your images and what subjects you want to capture.
7. Use the Rule of Thirds
You may hear the phrase “rule of thirds” quite often in photography. For some images, it may look great to have the subject directly in the middle. Other times, you can add more dimension and create a more significant “wow” factor simply by placing your subject off to the side.
Most cameras have a grid setting on them to help you achieve this effect. But, imagine there are two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, creating a grid with nine squares. Shifting your subject onto one of the side intersecting points will help create a more compelling and aesthetically pleasing image.
You Are a Photographer
With these seven beginner photography tips, you are well on your way to creating stories and emotions that you wish to convey. Photography is a continual learning process, and you should never be afraid to learn more and try new techniques.
Photography is a fantastic hobby in that you are a photographer whenever you decide that you are one. Just picking up your camera, reading about photography, and practicing the basics, makes you a photographer. Experiment and practice whenever you can!
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