Photography — Tips & Tricks for Everyone by Melanie P. Smith Spring makes me want to shed the gloom of winter and head outside. I suspect with all the global quarantines many of us are feeling stir-crazy at the moment. Here are a few tips to capture this moment in time, it might help entertain the family and it’s a great way to memorialize this moment for future generations.
There are too many factors at play, lighting, shutter speed, your subject, etc. It is true that some cameras are better than others, but we live in a day when technology has given the average photographer amazing tools and, in most cases, the differences are minor. Almost every entry-level DSLR is better than the top of the line SRL from yesteryear. Still, photographers were able to capture amazing, iconic pictures. How? The secret is learning how to use the camera you have. Focus on learning your camera’s strengths and weaknesses, not collecting expensive equipment.
Whether we’re trying to capture that amazing catch, your child’s first steps, or learning to ride a bike — we all love to take pictures. Being stuck indoors is no exception. Take advantage and fill those SD cards. Only you can freeze that special moment and encapsulate the magic from your own unique perspective. Don’t worry, I know aperture, bokeh, focal length, and metering tends to make the average person’s head explode. You just want to take a great picture without all the complicated settings. Which is why, I’m not going to get into those right now. I want to talk about basic tips everyone can use to improve their photos. It doesn’t matter if you are using the camera on your cell phone, a simple pointand-shoot or a more complicated device. These basic principles remain the same. So, let’s talk basics. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you take a better (if not perfect) shot.
Compose your photo and Move your Feet Often times, we grab the camera and settle for the shot we see instead of taking just a second to compose the photo we want. This could mean moving something out of the frame or moving ourselves to a better vantage point. What do I mean by this? Ever looked through your photos and notice you got a picture of great aunt Agnes, but the top of her head was cut off. That’s because you were flying on autopilot and didn’t take the time to compose your shot.
Use the Camera you already have There are countless cameras, lenses, and accessories on the market. You can spend a fortune trying to find ‘the one’ that will give you the perfect shot every time. Here’s my tip… it doesn’t exist. And, you already have it. Confused? No camera will produce the perfect shot every time. - 25 -