Whether you use a compact camera, bridge camera, a DSLR or even the camera on your phone, there are certain universal tips and tricks you can use to improve the images you take.
I’m a Chandler’s Ford photographer and today I’m sharing 3 simple tips to help you improve your photography.
1. Understand how to fully use the camera and its functions
Read the instruction booklet thoroughly and then read it again. Sit down and go through the menu, look at and find out what each of the buttons do.
This simple tip cannot be underestimated. An astronaut can’t fly to the moon if he doesn’t know how to work his space ship.
2. Learn how to hold the camera properly
A camera that moves as you take a picture will very probably produce a blurry image. Believe it or not but taking a picture with a camera is very similar to a sniper taking a shot with his rifle, as the same techniques apply.
The sniper holds his rifle firmly, but relaxed. He’ll close one eye and look through his scope. He’ll try to keep his rifle steady and when the right moment comes he’ll breathe out, and slowly and gently pull the trigger taking the shot.
This is pretty much what a photographer must do to capture a sharp image.
So support the camera properly with your hands, tuck your elbows in to your sides for support and step forwards or backwards with one leg like a boxer in the ‘on guard position’.
Look through the view finder or look at the screen, relax, breathe and think about what you’re looking at in the view finder/screen. When the moment is right, breathe out (This helps you to relax further and stay still) and gently press the shutter button to take the shot.
3. Stand there, take your shot and look at it. Ask yourself: “Am I in the best position?”
Stand there, take your shot and look at it. That shot is pretty much what everyone else would take. Now there’s nothing wrong with that but you care about your images and you want yours to be different and stand out from the others. So how can you do that?
Look through your camera and look at what you’re shooting and ask yourself: “Am I in the best position?”
Would you be better off getting closer or maybe further away? What would happen if you knelt down to get lower, or stood on something to get higher?
If for example you’re photographing children, kneeling or sitting on the floor so you can get the camera to their eye level will give a much more pleasing image than a picture taken standing up and looking down on them.
In fact that rule would apply for adults as well as pets, so always try to get to eye level.
Have fun – don’t be afraid to experiment
Finally, have fun and don’t be afraid to experiment. There are endless rules in photography but the number one rule is that all those rules are there to be broken, so go framing mad!
One of the best things about digital is that it doesn’t cost you a thing to snap away so go snapping crazy! Who knows you may end up creating amazing memories that you and your loved ones may cherish for years to come, and that my friends is what photography is all about – Creating memories.
Stay tuned Chandler’s Fordians as there are more tips and tricks coming soon!
Find out more about my photography on my website: Alan Fry Photography
Related post:
Alan Fry: A Passionate Chandler’s Ford Photographer
Thanks Alan – great tips. Look forward to more of your tutorials soon.
I used Canon S95 – I think I committed the number one sin as I didn’t read the instruction booklet well, and have lost it a long time ago. No wonder I set the camera to ‘auto’ as I wasn’t sure what to do with the rest of the functions.
Janet you can download copies of user manuals for any camera.
PowerShot S95 Camera User Guide (pdf)
Try that one.
Thank you Alan – I thought I had lost the user guide and I have lived without it … (quite happily).
Now you just showed me 193 pages of the user guide for a little camera. 🙂
Great tips and fantastic shots too. Must confess I only use my phone’s camera now though I must admit there used to be something special in taking a film along to a chemist to be developed and waiting, wondering just how many pictures would “work out”.
I still remember I used to send my films by post to be developed.
Normally I would get two or three sets developed (with one film), so that grandparents would get one set at Christmas.
In those days – every shot was precious (and expensive) and I used to count how much money I had wasted with bad images and got quite unhappy. Not sure what to do with the old films.
Thanks for these tips. I have not really got to grips with what my camera can do, so I will do this first as suggested.
Film, there were always one or two of the floor or some random thing you couldn’t quite make out hahaha.