Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Learn Tips To Taking Better Pictures

By Macy Toguchi

We have all played the role of photographer at some time. Most everyone takes photographs as a memento of special events, birthday parties, or family reunions. In the process, whether you realized it or not, you had to compose a photograph. That is, you had to bring the subject of the picture into the frame with other elements in the environment to capture the photograph. The ability to compose a photograph comes naturally for some; others of us really have to work at it.

There are two things every photographer needs to master to make their work better. First, you must learn to compose a good shot. Second, you must always improve your technical skills. Photography is not 100% art or 100% skill. It is a complex blend of the two. You must practice both to become a great photographer.

One aspect of taking good photos is knowing where to stand. You have to develop an eye for which angle will take the best picture and where to place your subject in the frame. The smallest change can change a photo that would have been a mess into a masterpiece.

Newcomers to photography love to center every subject. This is a great way to compose a photograph, but it is so overused, why not try adding new dimensions to your photography by moving your subject slightly off center. A good way to master composition is to remember the rule of thirds. Many photographers rely on this concept to create composition. The idea is to divide the frame into three parts, vertically and horizontally. Place the subject in one of the intersections and you will have created a balanced, yet interesting new composition. This is a general rule, so remember that it doesn't apply to all photographs equally well.

Improving technical camera knowledge and skills will help to improve your pictures. The more you know about your camera, the more flexible and creative you can be when taking photos. One of the most important basic skills is learning to focus. One thing that cannot be fixed, even on digital photos, is unfocused shots.

It is easy for beginners to either over expose pictures or under expose them. Learn to use your lighting conditions to your advantage. Realize that flashes work when you are close to a subject, but not too close. Flashes are useless more than 20 feet away from the subject. Understanding these concepts will save you a lot of wasted photographs. When you want to take pictures at a distance, it is best to set up a tripod for stability, and allow a little longer exposure. Mastering exposure techniques will make a dramatic difference in the clarity and quality of your photographs.

The key to learning photography is to take lots of pictures. Practice. Practice. Practice is the key. The more time you devote to photography, the more improvement you will see in your photography skills.

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