Creating Your Own Work Of Art: Photography Ideas And Inspiration

Photography can be used to capture the beauty around and within your life. If you know the right techniques to taking great pictures, it can even be a great way to make a living. You will find some great tips on how to take great looking photos.

Avoid taking pictures under an overcast, cloudy sky if possible. If you have too much gray sky in your photograph, it will create a washed-out appearance in the image. If you still want to take pictures of an overcast sky, try a black and white feature. If it is a nice day outside, put as much of the blue sky in your pictures as you would like, but be careful with the lighting.

You should create depth and perspective when photographing landscapes. Shooting a person in front of the landscape will provide perspective and scale to your picture. Aperture sizes like f/8 on a consumer camera, or f/16 on a professional DSLR, make it so you need not sacrifice foreground sharpness for background sharpness or vice-versa.

A dSLR is crucial if you are intent on taking good pictures. These single-lens reflex cameras allow you to see your subject in real time as you take the picture. For the most detailed pictures and largest image sensors, you want to invest in a full-frame DSLR.

Often a photographer will be so concerned with a landscape background that he neglects the details in the foreground. However, this is the first place the viewer’s eye will land. Create a nice foreground in your shot to make your picture look more deep and to frame in more intimately.

Proper shooting stance is very important in photography. You want to hold your arms tight to the body, while having a firm grip on the camera using both hands. Holding the camera in this way, you will reduce camera shake and make shots that are in clear focus. You can also keep your camera from slipping out of your hands by holding it from the bottom, rather than the top.

It’s best to use a blurred background when taking portrait shots. When the background is fully focused, the viewer will have trouble determining just what the focus of the picture was supposed to be. It is important to keep your subject in the forefront while shooting your photograph.

Experiment with the white balance feature manually. Light bulbs generally cause a yellow color in photos when you take them indoors. Instead of changing the lighting of a room, adjust the white balance on your camera to get a whole different atmosphere. This will instantly change a so-so photo into a professional-looking shot.

Move in closer to whatever subject you’re taking a picture of. You do not want the pictures to come out and not be able to see the subject or have things in the background take attention away from the subject. The result of a close shot will be a vivid picture that you will enjoy more.

Keeping your batteries charged will help you never miss the shot of a lifetime. Digital cameras can use a lot of power, especially when using the LCD screen, so make sure your batteries are fully charged before needing to use the camera. Get a few sets of rechargeable batteries, and always take an extra set with you. You’ll never miss a shot this way.

External Flash

Detail some notes on your camera settings when you are taking photos. If you take countless photos, it may be hard to recall why or where you took them. Use a small notepad, just make sure that you write down what number the picture is in your notes.

Most digital cameras have built-in flash components that automatically pop up when the light is dim. Even though these may be convenient, you may want to get an external flash with different light ranges, so that you have more control over your lighting. Find out if your camera comes with a “hot shoe” attached to the top that will allow an external flash to be attached. If you are not familiar with cameras, consider going to a professional to ensure you have purchased an external unit that is compatible with your camera.

Almost all digital cameras contain a built-in flash, and it will pop up automatically when dim conditions are detected. Auto-flash is great for amateur photographs, but for a cleaner more professional look you should have an external unit with a broader range for your camera flash. Try to get a camera with what is known as a “hot shoe” that can take an external flash, and make sure to ask a professional camera shop if it will sync with the camera.

It is important to combine your ISO, aperture, and correct shutter speed. These features will influence the exposure. You want to avoid either overexposing or underexposing a picture except in some special cases. Take some time to experiment using these features so that you learn how they interact, and which combination you like best.

Throughout life, we are coached on making things centered and even. A well-known artistic technique is to make a picture slightly asymmetric. This lack of perfect symmetry actually attracts the eye’s interest. Also, be aware of auto-focusing features that zoom in on what is centered in front of the camera lens. Use manual focus instead, and lock your focus before snapping the picture.

Challenge your creativity by creating a limitation for your photo shoot. One such limitation would be to only photograph subjects that reflect one specific theme or idea. Try taking 100 photographs, all from the same location, and attempt to make each unique. By using limitations to your advantage, you’ll be forced to think more creatively, resulting in interesting and unusual pictures.

Play around with perspectives, expressions, and scale to assess their effect on your pictures. A simple object can be made artistic if it is portrayed in a setting that makes it look much bigger or smaller than it is, or places it in an original and funny situation. Work on your compositions to get a unique take on a familiar object.

When you’re scheduled to photograph more than one person in a shot, give them advice beforehand that will help them choose clothing for the best staging. Matched colors aren’t mandatory, but clothing colors in the same family or in complimentary tones will greatly enhance your resulting photos. Both neutral and warm colors look good, since they do not stick out too much in a natural environment. If they are people who want bright colors, let them know to tone it down with other muted tones like black or white.

Make sure your photographs possess three very vital attributes. These three include a background, a mid ground and foreground. These are important for photography, but also in other kinds of art.

Don’t miss a shot because you’re trying to correct your settings. For the best photographs, don’t use the camera’s presets since this removes your options of making adjustments. Learn and explore your camera’s options and settings.

Natural lighting can play a major role in your photographs so take note of what is happening. Shoot outdoor photos at the beginning or ending of daylight. When sun is high in the sky it will give you shadows that you do not want, or if you are taking photos of people they may squint. You’ll be using sunlight to your advantage if you position your shot so that your subject is receiving the sunlight from the side.

You can make just about any subject look interesting just by adjusting the settings of your camera, capturing the shot from a different angle or using different lighting. Experiment with all of these things before going out to take your pictures.

Take the time to read and understand the manual that comes with your camera. Often times a manual is very long and drawn out. The common reaction to a manual is to pitch it into a cabinet and forget it or even toss it straight in the garbage. Rather than trashing your manual, make some time to learn the information it provides. This is a great way to learn the ins and outs of your particular camera.

You need to be aware of how sharpness works and where it appears in the image. Most of the time, the most sharpness will be seen towards the median of your image and lens. The closer you get to the edges, the more distortion you get.

You should be on the lookout for artificial or natural patterns to photograph. Patterns, particularly when they repeat, make for interesting focal points in your photos. You can use patterns to your advantage and create backgrounds and interesting angles that enhance your subjects.

You can improve your photographs by using a tripod. When you are shooting low-speed photos or active pictures, slight jiggles and jitters are noticeable. A tripod solves blurring problems by keeping the camera perfectly still. By having a quality tripod, you can impart professional results into your photograph.

Relative sharpness is another important element to consider. The image will appear sharper when you look through the center of the lens. From there, it progressively distorts as it nears the edges of your camera frame.

Shutter Speeds

Use different speeds with your shutters for various effects. Consider using a slow speed, even as low as 1/30, rather than relying on the fastest shutter speed possible. Did you see the person riding a bike who was going past at a fast pace? You will get a perfect image of the cyclist, but the background will have interesting streaks showing speed.

Use shutter speeds creatively. Using fast shutter speeds is common practice to prevent blur, but think about how you can use slow shutter speeds to intentionally blur your photos for creative reasons. Do you see that cyclist zooming along the road? Your results will show the background being streaked in a horizontal manner, and that shows speed.

Taking pictures of natural settings should be done carefully. Enjoy the beautiful scenery, but also make sure that you’re cleaning up after yourself. Take pictures of that beautiful scene, but be sure you leave it just as beautiful for the next person.

Make full use of all your camera’s features. Try blurring the background and focusing on the main subject by decreasing your field depth.

Before you begin shooting snaps and firing off flashes, give thought to the concept you’re looking for. Take the time to jot down some ideas that will make your shot a better one. Photography is art, and the skillful execution of a well crafted plan will show. If you follow these guidelines, you will begin to notice improvements in the quality of your work.

Think of an idea before you start taking photos. Focusing on a specific subject matter can help you narrow down your photography options. Photography is part technical skill and part art, and well-thought out plans and detailed attention definitely produce better shots. If you do so, you will see results that are much more interesting.

Always think about the purpose of every photo you shoot. Some photos are better shot vertically than horizontally and vice versa. You’ll be able to edit the shot when you’re done, but getting enough in the photo to play with will mean the difference between a usable photo and a failure.

Remember that images do not always have to be taken with your camera in a horizontal position. Turning your camera vertically can make a good, striking shot. Adjusting the zoom when shooting photographs can really enhance your pictures, capturing exactly what you want.

Pay attention to how much light is available so you can avoid overexposed or even underexposed photos. The histogram that is on many cameras will provide indication as to what level of exposure you are getting. This feature can let you know in advance if your shot is going to be overexposed or underexposed.

The key to a great picture is knowing what scenes and environments require flash or not. Don’t just turn the flash onto automatic and not reassess it ever again. Sometimes an excess of light will totally ruin a wonderful snapshot. Use it when you’re shooting in low-light.

Improve photos by cropping them. Your photograph may be perfect except for that pile of dirty clothes in the background. There are also times where the picture is perfect, except for the fact that the subject is a bit off center. Simply fix the issue by cropping the photo.

You should check to see the amount of light coming through your camera’s aperture. If the photos are overexposed (too light) you need to decrease the aperture and if they are underexposed (too dark), increase it. A camera that shows you a histogram can help you track exposure, provided you learn how to read it. This measures the exposure in every shot and it will enable you to know whether it is under or over exposed so that you’ll be able to prevent this from happening next time.

White balance, also referred to as light color, is one of the first of the more in-depth photographic concepts you should familiarize yourself with if you intend to cultivate your photo skills. What you will soon learn is that every light lends some tint to a scene. To achieve the results you desire, you have to learn to use the right lighting and modify your white balance effectively.

Armed with a few great photography tips under your belt, you can dazzle your friends and family with your fine photographic creations. With a little time and effort, you can even attain an expert skill level and start taking professional photographs for other people.

Start thinking about thins that involve exposure, such as shutter and film speed and aperture. The more you know about controlling how your photos are exposed, the better your pictures will turn out.

Photography
Photographer Rene Asmussen