Learn Basic Photography

You will simply enjoy your photography more.

Soon, you will want to share your new found visions with the rest of the world!

Use a few of the tools found below and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Before every shot, think light, angle, and composition. Check for unwanted distractions in and around the edge of the viewfinder.

“Sometimes I believe we take the art of photography for granted. Deep within every great photograph lies the culmination of that photographer's greatest passions.”
- Jim Champion

Develop new habits using some of these tips and techniques. You will immediately see improvement in your results.

Tips and Techniques...

Think About the Shot

Unless you are shooting sports or fashion, you will have the time to consider the shot. What's the best angle? Where is the light source? Is my horizon straight? What's in the background? Nothing worse than taking a photo only to review it later and find garbage cans or high tension power lines in the background. A learn basic photography must.

Two Filters You Should Use

The UV filter and the polarizing filter. The UV serves two purposes. 1) It helps reduce haze in the photo delivering bluer skies and clearer backgrounds in the distance. 2) It serves as protection for your valuable lenses. You should have one for each lense in your bag. For outdoor shots, you should utilize the benefits of a polarizing filter. A polarizing filter helps to reduce glare and knock down reflections. Your landscapes will have more saturated and vibrant colors. Your skies will have deeper blues and your clouds will become much more prominent. A learn basic photography must.

Add Macro Photography to Your Bag of Tricks

Get close to your work. It opens up a whole new world. Simple subjects such as flowers, grass, wood grain, and insects look totally different in the macro mode. You can get macro lenses, or close up accessories such as filters and bellows. Experiment with macro and you will find the possibilities endless!

Manipulate Light

Learn to add and subtract light to or from your subjects as needed. You can use your flash to fill in shadows on sunny days. Use reflectors to angle light as you need it. Change the angle of your subject or your camera to find the best lighting. Being able to adjust lighting is probably the most important skill you can learn for taking good photographs. A learn basic photography must.

Composition, Use the Rule of Thirds

It seems that the subject of a photo is more pleasing to the eye of the viewer if it is placed off center rather than directly in the middle of the frame. Imagine a tic-tac-toe board in your viewfinder (the rule of thirds, three horizontal sections and three vertical sections). Try placing your subject on one of the points where these vertical and horizontal lines intersect.

Learn to Use the Manual Function of Your Camera

Want some great photos? Adjust the shutter speed. Slow down your shutter speed for some great special effects. Turn moving water into satin ribbons. Make stars look like they are streaking across the night sky. Speed up your shutter to capture a snake striking or Tiger Woods in mid swing! Practice varying your shutter speeds and experiment. Change your aperture settings to adjust your depth of field.

Use A Tripod

A tripod is an excellent tool for photography. It holds your camera steady. It is a tremendous aid in composition, and a necessity for macro work. Small amount to pay for huge dividends!

Use The Largest Media Cards You Can

When purchasing your media cards, budget for the biggest you can. This allows you to shoot at the highest resolution your camera allows. After all, the idea is to create the perfect image, right? So, let your camera help you by shooting in it's finest mode. Also, with large memory cards, you can shoot and shoot, and shoot...

Experiment With Vivid Colors

Although I am a huge fan of black and white photography, I love subjects that are brightly colored and photos that are composed to showcase that color. Vivid colors make your photos stand out. An example are the brightly colored homes on the Caribbean Islands! Food and flea markets have a plethora of colorful subjects. Always be on the lookout for mass quantities of color. It's everywhere!

Change Perspective

Move up, move down, climb a staircase or lie down and shoot up. Squat, lay your camera on the ground and take a shot. Experiment changing angles and points of view in your photography. You will start producing some very interesting results. You can change the camera angle, sometimes the subjects angle, and many times both.

Learn Basic Photography

These are just a few basic skills a person needs to greatly improve their joy of photography. Most can be self taught with practice and experimentation. Or, you can always take some classes. There are many great photographers out there ready to show you the ropes! Either way, learn the basics. You will find your appreciation of photography will grow at the same rate as your knowledge and skill level.

Take only photographs, leave only footprints,
kill only time.