Whether you are creating them for a business or some other professional venture, or just for fun, taking images can be a lot more difficult than you might think. Here are some of our top tips to help you learn how to create better images.
The Camera
A lot of the quality of the image will come down to the camera that you choose. Of course, a lot depends on the type of photo that you want to take too. It might suit your vision to take one that is slightly lower quality, potentially with a disposable camera or a polaroid one. These can give a great effect to the image that will always look better when taken with the right device rather than edited in after.
If you want to take a clean and crisp image, a professional camera with the right lens is always going to be the right choice. However, you might also be able to get a good image just with the camera on your phone. Smartphone cameras nowadays can be a great quality, and can grab you a sharp and clean image you will be able to use for your purposes. Even if you want to mainly use your smartphone, you can buy extra lenses that you can snap on and off your phone, giving you more options to play with when creating images.
Learn How to Set up a Shot
Many people start off by just pointing and shooting. Though this can give you the perfect image every now and then, you do need to make sure that you learn how to refine your technique where you can. There are some key changes that you make that will instantly improve your shots, you just need to learn how to best implement them.
One of the most important here is the Rule of Thirds. This is a basic photo composition that every photographer needs to be able to master if they are going to be able to create some beautiful shots. This divides the photo into nine parts, with some of the key focal points of the photographs at the intersection of these lines.
Photographers also need to learn how to master angles. What might be a flat and uninteresting photo from one angle could become dynamic and eye-catching at another. A good photographer should be willing to lie down or bend themselves into uncomfortable positions if it means that they are going to be able to get that shot. A big part of the right angle can also come down to the lighting of the shot too. Whether someone is hunting down soft and forgiving lighting or something harsh that will throw shadows across the composition, mastering lighting is going to be a must.
Editing
Taking the picture is often only half the work. You also need to make sure that you learn to edit your pictures properly to bring out the best of them. When creating images for a purpose, you will often want something to stand out. You can only do so much with the photograph itself – a lot of the emphasis can actually come from the editing.
Depending on the software you might use, it might be a better idea to convert the image into different formats as part of your process. Sources like https://setapp.com/ are going to be key in helping you understand how to convert images and complete crucial tasks like fixing metadata.
Editing is going to be something that you need to invest time in. Using premade filters is not going to cut it. Learning how to fix the white balance and improve factors like saturation and contrast can be difficult. The more you edit, the better your eye will be for fixing details.
Learn as You Go
Photography is definitely an art that must be learned on the go. While you can study it and the work of some of the best photographers, there is nothing compared to picking up a camera and putting theory into practice. You need to make sure that you are taking as many photos as you can, while applying what you are learning along the way.
You should also think about taking a course every now and then. There are so many courses for photography and editing that you could check out to refresh your skills. Whether it is a paid course, maybe even a residential one, or a free one you follow online, there is so much that can be learned. Photography as an art form is always evolving, and with that comes the opportunity to study and hone your craft.
Experiment
With photography, you need to make sure that you experiment and evolve your own style. There are so many photographers in the world, both amateur and professional, and you need to make sure that you are finding a style that makes you stand out from the crowd.
It can be really tempting to dive into one particular area and get stuck in the typical compositions one would typically find there. Nature photography uses bright colours and clear contrast, portraits can often be in black and white, and so on. Move a little outside the box and choose to experiment. Sometimes, the most beautiful of shots can break all the usual rules of composition! Never be afraid to try something new.
If you want to become a better photographer, there are plenty of paths that you can follow to try to improve your skills. One of the most important parts of improving in this field is just getting out there and taking shots. Remember, in one hundred pictures there might only be one good one. Don’t let this get you down, instead use it as motivation to improve! Before you know it, you could be setting up and taking pictures with ease! Photography is a fantastic art medium, and it is always going to be worth diving into and exploring on a more technical level.
See some more of my photography-related posts here