So you finally bought the camera you have been dreaming to get your hands on. Desperate to click those wallpaper-like photos?
There are certain things you will have to factor in if you want to click great pictures every time.
While anyone can get that perfect shot every once in a while, the thing that separates a normal photographer from a good one is consistency.
Good photographers don’t click a ton of images and sort out the good ones.
Instead, they focus on getting a better picture compared to the last one whenever they hit the shutter.
That being said, there are some things you might want to know before diving into the world of photography.
Below are 7 essential tips that will help you learn photography faster and efficiently.
1. Buy Only The Necessary Equipment
Even if you have the money, don’t rush in and get the most expensive camera available on the market.
It is very much possible to get some fascinating shots even on those entry-level DSLRs.
As you get better with time, you will eventually understand what camera you need to buy depending on your budget and requirements.
New to photography?
It’s better to go for a mid-range camera capable of shooting decent photographs.
Also, if you are one with shaky hands, getting a tripod will drastically improve the quality of the photos you click.
Don’t go for those fancy-looking expensive lenses right away just because you have the cash.
Keep a clear picture of what type of photos you want to capture.
For example, if you want to take photos of nearby flowers and some close-ups, those big lenses won’t be of much help.
2. Try To Take Photos Every Day
The best way to hone your skills is to try to click something every single day.
If you can, try to carry the camera everywhere you go.
After all, the best moments in life often come unexpectedly.
Sometimes you might stumble upon something beautiful which might not interest you at all.
For example, simple subjects such as a fishbowl might sometimes bend light in unimaginable ways.
3. Know Your Camera
The first and foremost thing one should do if they want to take good shots is to learn the capabilities of their camera.
Try to understand the features your camera has to offer and tinker with them.
There are various parameters that uniquely define the details in a photo.
Learn the basics of what and how your photos are affected when a certain parameter such as aperture is modified.
There are various factors to take into consideration such as the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture.
Even if this sounds like a tedious task, it is what differentiates good photographers from great ones.
The terminologies associated might sound unfamiliar and hard at first but are quite simple once you get the hang of it.
4. Understand The Term Perception
Perception is one of the forgotten principles of photography.
It is the relationship between the various objects in your frame such as size and space.
Whether a photo looks 3D or flat entirely depends on the perception.
This is; however, a very complex topic, and only practice and experimentation will make you better.
5. Post Processing Is Important
Photographers that are not working with Polaroid instant cameras should be familiar with post-processing techniques.
Do you think your camera will straight out of the box take natural, full-of-life images?
Most digital cameras capture flat and dull images.
Post-processing helps the image regain that natural light or the original color which you thought would pop up.
Basic processing techniques include adjusting the brightness, saturation, contrast, or saturation.
Of course, they are effective but only to a certain degree.
Software such as Adobe’s Lightroom will greatly enhance the quality of the photos you take.
They are capable of doing things such as selectively adjust the focus of the image.
Dodging and burning, which literally means selective lightening and darkening are also some effective tools to grab the user’s attention.
6. Play With The Camera Settings
Don’t be afraid of clicking tons of images all with nothing but different settings.
There are a lot of settings that might completely redefine the quality and color of the picture.
Go out and try capturing the same subject using a combination of various settings.
Learn what type of image stabilization your camera has or how long can the shutter be left open.
Play with your camera’s ISO, Auto Focus, and White Balance settings.
Even though ISO simply increases or decreases the amount of noise in the picture, you might find it surprising that sometimes lower ISO’s are better than higher.
You can even use web applications to learn the basics of a DSLR.
In case you are wondering what settings you used when taking a particular picture, take a quick peek at the file’s EXIF data.
It lists in detail the exact settings you used to take the shot.
7. Try To Understand The Very Nature of Light
Every photo you take depends on the amount of light since cameras are designed to work that way.
Every photo you take is unique and the conditions associated with it are too.
Although mastering light is impossible, we can only try to understand how it acts and can be the difference between mediocre and great shots.
The best place to learn about light is outside.
If you take a close look at how light acts or reflects off a person or a thing, you will slowly understand how to ‘bend’ light to your advantage.
In case you are trying to work in the dark, you need to use a light source.
How much light is needed is just something that comes with experience.
So, try getting your hand on a flashlight from a studio and experiment!
Conclusion
Photography is like a race with no finish line.
No matter how hard you try to be perfect, there is always room for improvement.
It’s like there is always something new to learn.
We gathered some tips just so you could get started.
There are various genres you might want to try out such as landscape photography or photojournalism.
There’s literally no end to the learning process when it comes to developing photography skills, but these 7 tips will help you get started on this exciting never-ending journey!
What are you even waiting for? Go out and try taking some pictures for yourself!
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