Tips for Beginner Photographers

Posted on | August 15, 2009 | No Comments

Photography is a unique form of art in which reality and imagination overlaps. Photographers tend to see the world around them in a different way; they recognize lines, shapes, colors, and patterns more than anyone else. They may capture real moment and present it in the most surreal of ways, or they can create whole new imaginary worlds composed of real elements.

If you are new to photography, you may find many things confusing, mainly, compositional rules and technical matters. It doesn’t have to be this way though, as you should take an easier approach to the learning process. Even if you read many resources about photography, you will still have to experience it, as this is the best way to remember what you are learning.

The first thing you should focus on is to understand basic compositional rules. It is usually better to have a well composed photo with bad technical aspects than the other way around. Try to look at the things around you , and make them look more interesting in photos. Get closer, use different perspectives, and set them up in unique ways. It doesn’t matter if your subject is your baby, or you cup of coffee, everything can look interesting from a certain point of view.

Your camera is an essential part of the learning process. It doesn’t have to be a fancy DSLR, as in this stage, compact cameras are very good to explore photography. The most important thing is to understand your camera’s capabilities. Take the same photographs with different settings, in order to know their effects. When you are done, you will have better control on your photographs, and you will use your camera more efficiently.

In photography, never let the environment be your enemy. Shooting in sunny days will create very harsh shadows that don’t look pleasant in most photographs, but if you know how to employ these shadows in your composition, your photos will be very interesting. Clouds make the sky looks interesting, and when coupled with action on the ground, they create the perfect rhythm for your photos. Also, try to capture people when they are not looking, while they are busy doing other things rather than posing to your photograph. This is perfect for street photography, but works very well with portraits too.

Don’t limit yourself to a single type of photography or to using a single technique. Specialty may be a good thing, but at this early stage, it is not wise to keep yourself confined in a single place.

The most annoying problem for new photographers is blurriness, so for a start, avoid bad lighting conditions. This is because most cameras compensate for the bad lighting with longer exposure, which, with your shaky hand, will always yield blurred photos. If better lighting is not available, buy a tripod, or a monopod, or simply put your camera on a steady area.

If your camera allows autofocusing, use it to focus on your subjects, maintain this focus, and maintain the exposure of your photograph. This is especially important for many compact digital cameras owner who don’t have other tools to manually control their settings.

Finally, try to keep an outlet to get your photos to the public, and be ready to accept constructive criticism.. Only by doing this, you will be able to diversify your photos and further enhance your skills.

 

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