The power to create art is now at our fingertips. With the rise of social media and modern technological advances, comes the ease with which visual art can be created and dispersed. Photography is one of the many avenues that art can be expressed. If you’re a photographer, but want to hone in your skills, then you’re in the right place.
1. LEARN MANUAL MODE. The best way to improve your photography is learning how to shoot in manual mode. Google what Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Exposure + White Balance are and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
2. ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BACKGROUND. There’s only two things a background can do for your subject: it can either bring attention to it, or detract from it. Be attentive to your background, Notice every object, line, color: Does this distract or enhance what you are trying to focus on?
3. LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING. When it comes to photography, you are always dealing with LIGHT, so you have to train yourself to see everything in terms of LIGHT. Did you ever notice how the face lights up when someone is watching TV? Did you notice that you feel differently when you shoot in the morning light vs the mid day sun? Do you notice how there’s ugly shadows in the eye area when there’s harsh light? Lighting determines not only darkness or brightness but also tone, mood and atmosphere. It is important to control and manipulate light correctly in order to get the best results of the subject. Light is the be all and end all of all photography. Without it, there could be no photography. Seeing and understanding it is the first critical step in your journey as an improved photographer.
4. SHOOT WITH YOUR HEART. Even if you know the technical stuff, Do you ever look at your images and you just can’t figure out what it is that’s missing. It’s the heart element that’s missing. You are not emotionally engaged with your work. Photography is not about capturing what’s out there in the world, it’s about capturing what’s inside your heart. Shoot what matters to you and put more of yourself in the images. Shoot how you feel, your images will be more powerful. Plus, we are hardwired to relate on an emotional level.
5. YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE THE MOST EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT TO GET THE BEST PHOTOS. It’s not about what gear you have, it’s what you do with it. Believe it or not you are more creative with less than more. The puzzle-solving brain is much more creative when limited in some way or another.
