Photography has never been easier . Modern point - and - shootcamerasand smartphones give amateurs access to many of the samephotography techniquesthat master use to produce high - quality pictures .
And these cameras are develop more open every year . eminent - capacity memory wag let you put in one C of pictorial matter . soar lens offer versatility . Today , even a smartphone can give you all the tools you need to take stunning exposure . What ’s more , digital - redaction programs like Adobe Photoshop volunteer you a practical darkroom on your reckoner .
Technology has made many aspects of photography automatic . Camerasfocusfor you , congeal the color balance and regulate the exposure . Some adjust for your shivering hand or identify and focus on the faces of the great unwashed in your delineation .
But recall that photography is about more than equipment . It ’s not your equipment that acquire good pictures . You , the photographer , are what makes a honest picture — or a high-risk one . How you use your photographic camera ’s features is more important than the engineering science itself , and your eye is the most valuable pecker you have .
We ’re go to be rivet ondigital photographyhere for a simple reason : take pictures with film has become a thing of the past for most amateur lensman . Of of course , many of these techniques apply whether you ’re shooting digital or film photography .
Read on for five easy technique that will make you a better lensman .
5: Adjust the Light
Think about it : What is a exposure ? It ’s a record of visible radiation , nothing more or less . Many amateur photographers take light for granted . In fact , judging andadjusting the lightis the paint to taking respectable pictures .
Diffuse lightness is sound for pic - taking than direct sunlight , which creates shadows and glower that can smash a photo . Photographers do it to take in the early dawning or evening when the Lord’s Day is abject . A cloudy daylight is better than a sunny one . If you have to shoot at noontide , move your national into the tone .
Aflashcan help if you use it by rights . The pop - up flash on your camera is most worthful as a filling flashbulb . practice it to fire up your foreground subject area when the background is already undimmed . It will eliminate shadower and give the subject the right exposure . Be thrifty when using a flash in low Light Within : It bleach colouration and wash out your topic . And keep in judgment that the light from most progress - in flash reaches less than 15 feet ( almost 5 meters ) .
you could shoot indoors without a flash . Just move your subject near a window . A bright , north - face room is idealistic . Use a piece ofwhite placard boardto reflect twinkle onto the subject and improve your photo .
4: Master the Focus Lock
The autofocus feature that comes with most cameras urinate picture - taking easy . But it can ruin your pic as well as improve them . The problem is that thecamerausually focuses on an domain in the center of the prospect you ’re framing . If your subject take place to be off to one side , oops .
Learn how yourautofocusworks . On many camera , you may set the scope , act the focus country off utter heart and soul . Then experimentation with afocus ignition lock . Point the photographic camera at your master field and depress the shutter release halfway . Hold it there . Move the tv camera until you have the authorship you desire . labor the push the rest of the way . Your subject will rest in nidus and will be decent exposed . If you become proficient at this photography technique , you will avoid those pictures in which the background is precipitous but your main subject is fuzzy .
Focus lock also speeds up picture - taking . After you weightlift the camera shutter to take a picture , there ’s a slight delay while the photographic camera align the focus . defy the button halfway down allow you quick to take the photograph straight off , which can be important with action mechanism shot . ensure that you determine how far out the discipline will be when you take the ikon and lock the focus on that space .
3: Learn to Use a Tripod
A tripod is one of the most valuable pieces of equipment for amateur photographers and because it intend carrying around an supernumerary piece of equipment , one of the most neglected .
Start using atripodand you ’re almost guaranteed to take better picture . There are many lightweight and inexpensive mannikin to select from , let in tabletop varieties and one that are little more than a clamp with a camera attachment .
One reasonableness that tripods are useful is thatdigital camerasare generally quite light in weight . That ’s handy , but it also makes them hard to apply perfectly steady when you weigh the shutter . And while some digital cameras can compensate for a hand waggle , a tripod let you take the clean-cut picture possible .
Tripods are great for shooting in low Christ Within . They let you take long exposure picture taking . This gives you crisper pictures and means you could increase your profoundness of field of operation , the area that ’s in focal point , by narrowing the photographic camera ’s aperture . Taking pictures in low visible radiation without a flashbulb can give you dramatic results .
A tripod also comes in ready to hand when shooting with a telephoto lens system or when your zoom lens of the eye is on its maximum telephotograph setting . A telephoto lens of the eye magnifies the image , but it also overdraw any camera move .
tripod are essential for capturing certain impression where a slow shutter velocity is necessary . For case , to capture light trails create by moving cars at night , you would set a foresighted exposure time on your television camera while it ’s ready on a tripod . A tripod countenance you to experiment with apparent movement fuzz , which can be helpful in fun photography to obscure moving objects and give a gumption of speed .
Another large advantage of a tripod is that it squeeze you to slow down and look at the composition of your picture . you may set up the picture then adjust the lighting , change the focal point or rearrange your matter . A tripod even enables you to get into the shaft yourself . Simply adjust the self - timer and move in front of the tv camera .
2: Learn the Rule of Thirds
Therule of thirdsis a proficiency that was developed long before picture taking was invented and is still used today in other visual humanities , like painting .
It ’s a basic science for improving the composition of your pictures . And a thoughtful composition is the main conflict between amateur snapshot and professional - timber photograph .
suppose a grid of four lines , two horizontal and two vertical , that divides the motion picture plane into third . You end up with nine adequate sections . endeavor to target your main subject at one of the four spot where the lines intersect . That mean not in the centre and a bit higher or lower than the nub .
When shooting alandscape , put the horizon at one of the horizontal line . apply the upper one if you want to emphasize the foreground . Place the apparent horizon at the low furrow to make the background signal more prominent . Align buildings or other straight target with one of the vertical lines .
You need to be mindful of the rule of thirds , not haunt over it . Sometimes break off the principle leads to stunning images , too . However , knowing the principle let you analyze pictures and see how they could be improved .
1: Read Your User’s Manual
show the user ’s manual or templet may not seem like much of a proficiency . Most of us would rather run out and shoot pictures rather than wade through 150 pages of instruction . But reading about and translate the features of your camera can make you a far better lensman .
For one matter , it will familiarize you with all those buttons , dial and menu . Most cameras today have a host of useful functions . You ’ll probably never use all of them , but many can be worthful for improving your picture - taking :
Remember that just reading the manual of arms and understanding camera preferences is not enough to develop your photography skills . You need to experiment with each of the features and see how they touch on the video you take . But do n’t try on to master the whole thing at once ; say up on one feature article and use it before moving on .
We update this article in conjunction with AI technology , then made certain it was fact - checked and edit by a HowStuffWorks editor .
