How Do You Take Good Pictures?
If you’re not a professional photographer, taking good photos, be it with a professional DSLR or mirrorless camera can seem easy.
However, a professional photographer will tell you that getting to where they are, takes a lot of getting it wrong before they get it right.
From choosing and focusing on a subject to cleaning up the background and finding the best natural light to shoot in, a lot goes into taking good pictures.
If you’re an aspiring photographer, learning to take good pictures is not only good for when you are in the company of friends, it also opens up prospects with regard to jobs.
The better your photos look, the more you can convince prospective clients to work with you.
This review will look at eight detailed tips to help you learn how to take good pictures. Once you grasp these tips, you should be able to improve your photography skills.
Make Sure Your Camera Gear is in Order
Before you take any photo, ensure your camera gear is in order. What does this mean? According to Henry Oji of Big H studios, you must always check that your camera lens (DSLR or smartphone) is clean before you take a photo.
Keep in mind when dealing with professional cameras (DSLRs and mirrorless), you shouldn’t clean them with your shirt or a random cloth. If you want to know what to use, check out our review on the best camera lens cleaning kits.
1. Consider The Angle of Your Shot
Angles are huge when it comes to taking photos. Instead of pulling out your pro-grade camera or smartphone and capturing photos instantly, take about ten seconds and think about the best angle from which your shot could look.
According to pro photographer and accomplished YouTuber Peter McKinnon, objects look best when captured from a waist level because you’re in the same perspective as the object. Also, move around and see where the angle is best.
2. Pick A Good Focal Point
The focal point is defined as a photo’s main point of interest. The focal point can be anything; for instance, it could be a person’s eyes, a landmark, etc.
So the next time you want to take a photo, pause and ask yourself, ‘what do I want people to focus on for this specific image?’
3. Always Follow the Rule of Thirds
According to the NFI (Nashville Film Institute), the rule of thirds is a type of composition in which an image is subdivided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. When following this rule, the points of interest are where the lines intersect.
So the primary element of your shot should be along the lines or at one of the four intersection points. When you follow the rule of thirds, your photos will no longer look like mugshots because you can balance the foreground and background.
4. Don’t Use Digital Zoom
Digital zoom is zoom facilitated by the software integrated into the photography device; as a result, it’s not as good as optical zoom, which depends on the lens’s zooming capability.
Digitally zoomed photos will be grainy and lower the resolution of your entire shot. Also, if you shake when taking the photo, the movement will be captured in the shot because your photography device lacks something known as OIS (optical image stabilization).
5. Look for Ambient Natural Light Before Settling On the In-Built Camera Flash
Camera flash systems, whether on smartphones or professional-grade cameras, shine light from a single source meaning your shots will be harsh and have unusual colours compared to ambient natural light, which is everywhere.
So don’t solely depend on the in-built flash on your smartphone or pro-grade camera; instead, rely mainly on natural light. However, if you have a pro-grade camera, check out one of the top of the line camera flash systems to improve your photography.
6. Use A Tripod
If you take several photos and you realize there is motion blur, invest in one of a photographer’s most hand tools; a tripod. A tripod is essential when shooting; nowadays, you can find tripods for both pro-grade cameras and smartphones.
7. Shoot RAW
Most modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras allow you to shoot RAW. Why shoot RAW? Well, RAW images have more detail than PNG or JPG images which are more often than not compressed.
Note that to shoot RAW, you need a lot of storage. Also, you can find smartphones like the Sony 1 II that can shoot and process RAW images and footage.
In conclusion, these tips are the absolute best to help you take your photography to the next level. Whether you’re using a professional camera or the camera setup on your smartphone, you should be able to get good results.
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