A lot of people think that photography is easy, that anyone with half a brain can press down the shutter release and call themselves a photographer. And if they pop their camera on auto then yes, maybe they can. But these images are not going to be MOMA-worthy (Museum of Modern Art, for those out of the loop). It may come as a surprise, but not just anyone can take photographs the way they intend to. There is nothing more frustrating than having that perfect image in your head and not being able to execute it. So, here are a few little tips and tricks to help you improve your photography skills, and get the pictures you’re after!
Composition
A big thing to consider when thinking about what you want your photographs to look like is composition. The best way to think about it is according to the rule of thirds. In other words, split your image into nine equal boxes (most cameras will actually do this for you when you look through the view finder) and place the most important subject matter on the points where the sections meet. For example, when taking a full body portrait, rather than placing the person right in the centre of the photograph, try placing them a third of the way across the image. Likewise, if you are taking a photograph of a horizon, for example, try placing the horizon either one or two thirds up the image, instead of half way up. The points of intersection between the thirds are the natural places for the eyes to go, and so most of the time will create a much more appealing photograph! [pagebreak]
Exposure
If you really want to get off automatic, it is also important to think about exposure. There are three main elements that decide how your photograph will be exposed; aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Aperture is the size that the shutter will open to in order to allow light to enter the camera and hit the sensor. The larger the aperture (which rather confusingly means the smaller the f/ number, e.g. f/2.8), the bigger the hole, and so the more light is let in, and vice versa. However, a larger aperture also means that there will be a shorter depth of field and less of the picture will be in focus. This is great if you want the background to be out of focus, or if everything you are taking a photograph of is in close proximity to each other. However, if it is not, you may want to opt for a smaller aperture, for example f/16 or f/32, and increase the exposure by altering your shutter speed or ISO.
Shutter speed is fairly self-explanatory. The quicker the shutter speed (e.g. 1/250 of a second), the sharper your image will be. However, this also means that less light will be let in, so you will have to compensate with your ISO or aperture. By contrast, a slower shutter speed (e.g. 1/60 of a second or even something like 20 seconds!) will allow more light to be let in, although the image may become slightly blurred. But, do not assume that this is necessarily a bad thing! A lot of professional photographers use long exposures to capture movement. By using a tripod to keep the camera still, you can use a long exposure to photograph things like waterfalls or fireworks.
ISO is the final of the three basic elements of exposure. This controls the quality of your image. The higher the ISO (e.g. ISO 3600), the grainier your image will be, but the more light will be picked up. By contrast, a lower ISO (e.g. ISO 100) will give you a crisp, high quality image, but will require you to either use a slower shutter speed or have a larger aperture. [pagebreak]
Flash
If it is really dark where you are photographing, you can try using the built in flash. However, this can often be harsh and not give the lighting effect that you want. With an eternal flash there is a lot more scope, although this is expensive and so it is not a viable option for most beginners. I would suggest sticking to natural light, especially for portraits. If you think that this might be slightly limiting, think about the different ways you could add more light. This could be through using reflectors to bounce light onto subjects, or by using some artificial light to create the shadows you want. Just experiment! [pagebreak]
Still Not Perfect?
As well as knowing what you’re doing, a hidden problem for some photographers is what they are doing without realising! If your pictures are coming out slightly blue or yellow, check that you haven’t altered your white balance, as this could really mess up the temperature of your photographs!
Another common problem is focus. Double check that your focus is on automatic (unless you want to choose what you focus on, in which case pop it on manual) on both your camera body and lens! A lot of people don’t realise that you have to change it on both. Make sure you’re viewing your photographs regularly during shoots too. There is nothing worse than getting to the end of a shoot and releasing all your images are underexposed or out of focus!
If your images still aren’t quite the way you want them to be, the best thing you can do is experiment and practice! You won’t always know exactly what you want your image to look like before you start shooting. Don’t worry, even if you don’t even have a general idea, just go outside, or find interesting things in your house, and start snapping. I would recommend taking as many photographs as you can, at different angles and, if you have a subject, with different poses. Then you’ll have a larger range of images, and chances are one of them will be what you’re after! And, if it’s not, ask yourself why you don’t like the pictures you’ve taken, so you can improve for next time. Like anything, photography take a bit of time to get the hang of! But, if you don’t want to waste the time and effort you’ve put in on the photographs you have taken, try editing! Photoshop is a great tool for enhancing and editing photographs to get them looking spot on.