Saturday, June 20, 2009

Learn Tips To Taking Better Pictures

By Macy Toguchi

At some time in your life you have been the photographer behind the camera. We take photographs to record special family events like births, weddings, and family gatherings. We also like to use photographs to record other special events, such as parties or celebrations with friends. When you are behind the lens of a camera it is up to you to compose the photograph. Ideally, this is done without cutting someone's head out of the photo, or including all sky with just faces lining the bottom of the photograph.

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 important key to taking great photos is learning where to stand in relation to your subject. You must figure out which angle looks the best and position the subject in the frame accordingly. Any variation in composition, including placement, can make the difference in an awesome photo and a photo that you need to ditch.

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.

Improve your basic knowledge of your camera and technical skills will also help improve your photos. The more you know about your camera and how to use it properly, the more creative and flexible you can be with your photography. By all means, one of the first things you need to learn is how to focus your shots. There is nothing that can be done to improve an unfocused photograph, the moment and the photo is gone forever. Make learning focus a priority.

Under exposing and over exposing are two very common mistakes. Exposure will depend on the lighting conditions and the ambiance you are trying to capture. The best way to learn this skill is to practice by taking pictures. One thing you will learn, for example, is when to use a flash. A flash is good for close shots, but if you are more than 20 feet away the flash will do you no good. Longer exposure time, using a tripod, is a good way to take pictures of distant objects.

The most important key to taking great photographs is practice. Take photo every chance you get. The more you practice, the greater your artistic and technical skills will develop. - 16887

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