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KISS The good old saying in photography is Keep It Simple, Stupid. That is, if you try to capture everything that you see in one picture, what you'll most likely end up with is a jumbled dischord of elements. The problem with this is that although you've captured a picture of everything, you really haven't captured the feeling, and that's what good photography aims to do. Therefore, try to isolate special moments, emotions, critical objects, etc. Keep it simple and you'll find that your pictures are vastly improved.  Also remember to keep an eye on the four corners of your frame to make sure that you're only capturing what you want to capture. I made sure to leave the waiter, the chef behind her, and the guy to her right making a funny face when I took this picture. Fill the frame with what you want to capture! Sure you can get a snapshot of a cute dog on the street but if its The worst thing is having a great shot ruined by an ugly fire hydrant in the corner of the frame when you could have easily taken a step to the left to leave it out. Summary: Cut out what isn't important, keep an eye on the corners of your frame. Plan Your Shots A lot of times people miss shots because they aren't prepared to take the picture. Learn to anticipate what your subject will do. Because cameras don't act as fast as your eyes, you have to use your head to compensate for that fact. Autofocusing is the slowest part of taking a picture. Most modern cameras have little or no shutter lag, so if you already have focused on something, pressing the shutter the rest of the way will nearly instantly capture the image.  If you know someone is going to be in a certain area, try half-pressing your shutter button to autofocus in that area (and keep your finger held down) and then wait for him or her to move into that spot. Once the person is in the frame in a spot that you like, fully depress the shutter to take the picture. Summary: Anticipate where your subject will be, autofocus in that area, and shoot when the time is right! Take Lots of Pictures Professional photographers take a lot of pictures. A LOT of pictures. Often times a pro can take 1000 or 2000 shots and only keep one or two. Well, back in the days of film that would have been outrageously expensive for anyone who didn't make a living out of taking pictures, but with digital you can just delete the ones that you don't want. Of course, shooting a lot of pictures doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get a good shot either. You have to know what you're doing and plan ahead. Summary: Learn about your camera, plan ahead, and take lots of pictures, keep the ones you like. Shoot in Good Light Believe it or not, not all light is the same. Different light has different qualities and different looks. Noontime is generally regarded as the worst time to take pictures; because the sun is casting its light directly downwards onto your subjects, you generally get very harsh, unflattering shadows. The best time to take photos outdoors is generally during the 2 hours after sunrise and during the 2 hours before sunset and during twilight. This makes for generally more flattering light and better shadows.  Summary: The best light is during the two hours after sunrise and the 2 hours before sunset. Try Shooting Vertical Pictures A lot of people tend to whip out their camera and only shoot horizontally-framed photos. Try turning it 90 degrees. A lot of pros take over half of their shots vertically because the eye tends to be drawn to vertically-oriented photos because they're different than standard horizontal photos. And who says landscapes can't be done vertically? There are a ton of interesting vertical landscapes out there! Next time you go shooting, experiment with different camera orientations.   Summary: Try out different ways to orient your camera. |
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