Photography in today’s modern lifestyle is an essential part of our lives whether you are a beginner or experienced photographer here are some tips that you may not know but will definitely help you improve your photography!
1- Rule of thirds:
This basic but yet very important rule helps you make eye catching images. If you are looking for the secret factor that makes your image look right then this composition is definitely something you should look to use.
To use the rule of thirds imagine four lines, two lines horizontally across and two vertical creating nine even squares. By placing the subject of your image off-center at one of the intersecting points of the imaginary lines will often make for a more aesthetically composed and pleasing to the eye image.
Image by Nizar Hezhaz, London, UK 2019
2- Avoid Camera shake:
Camera shake or blur is a terrible thought for any photographer because it renders your image unusable even if you got everything else right. What a bummer! Here are some tips on how to avoid shake so you never have to loose a good image. First step is to hold your camera steady by holding it close to your body for support, keep one hand on the camera and the other on the lens and lastly keep your elbows close to your body for more support.
One very important tip to avoid shake in your images is to use a shutter speed consistent to the focal length of your lens. What does that mean? here is an example: If you are using a lens that is 50 mm then your shutter speed must be at least 1/50 sec or more. The longer the focal length the faster the shutter has to be.
Next tip is to use any type of tripod that help you with stability which would allow your camera to shoot more stable images with a slower shutter speed.
If you need any help with the terminology or a better understanding on how your camera works leave us a comment below and we will write a blog that will help you understand the essentials to photography.
3- Use a polarizing filter:
If you can add a filter to your collection of precious equipment make it a polarizing filter. The filter has several purposes one of which is to protect the lens from scratches or front end damage while the second purpose is giving your images a more contrasty look and the third is when used to photograph water or reflective surfaces such as glass or metal then the polarizing filter will reduce the reflection and help your image look so much better.
There are many types of filters and brands as for my recommendation for the best type I would go for the round polarizing filter that allows your to adjust the angle and the strength of the filter. The round polarizing filter also allows your camera to use TTL (Through the lens) metering such as auto exposure.
4- Create a sense of depth:
In an image that has the sense of depth the subject seems to be separated from the background and thus allowing the viewer to focus on the important part of the image. Depth in landscape photography allows the viewer to be drawn to the image’s depth that give a natural sensation when looking into the image and a feeling that the viewer is actually in the location shot.
A good tip is to use wide lens 24 mm on full frame or wider is usually a good choice and use an f stop between f/8 to f/16 for a good depth of field (DOF). Try to incorporate a subject into your image and a foreground that will help the viewer feel the scale of the landscape and how far away the distance actually is. Lastly use a tripod as the small aperture of f/8 to f/16 will need a slower shutter speed to expose the image correctly and the tripod will help avoid camera shake.
5- Use simple background:
Using a simple background will help the viewer focus on the subject rather than getting distracted by all the movement and colours in the background.
If possible chose a plain background with simple patterns and colours as the human eye is going to be drawn to the focal point of your image rather than the odd colour or pattern behind the subject.
What do you think about our tips? Is there anything you would like to know about? Feel free to comment below…