Photos are easy to make – aim and click. Almost everybody has a camera device and there are trillions of, erm, bad photos out there.
Good photos take time and patience and learning…
How would you:
• make white snow white? (most people produce gray snow)
• make a waterfall turn into a milky smooth masterpiece?
• showing a hint of motion in the water and oars while keeping the boat and background crisp?
Regular photo tips can help!
Photo Tip Use 1/15th sec and a panning technique to get a hint of motion AND sharpness in the same photo!
A year ago we decided to start offering regular Photo Tips on our Photo Facebook Page to help photographers create better photos.
Ahem… ‘like’ our Facebook page… we’re giving away one free three month session of our Online Program to someone that likes our page by the end of the week. We’ll announce the winner next week.
Three months ago we launched PrimePhtotoTips.com to compile and organize the photo tips and make them easy to find. Follow the tips – there are usually 5 new tips every week.
In this edition of Exposed! we offer some of the most important (and fun) tips.
Here we go:
Photo Tip #1
Turn the camera on.
Obvious, perhaps, but who hasn’t forgotten to turn their camera on before shooting?!
Photo Tip #11
Write down 3 things you want to shoot this week. Tape that to your fridge until they are captured!
Photo Tip #22 For crisp portraits use a shutter speed of 1/250 second or faster!
Photo Tip #34
Thanks to Quinton Gordon for this tip: “Edit your photos BEFORE you take them.”
Photo Tip #66
When shooting artistic night shots use a low iso (ie 100) and a tripod. It’s counter-intuitive but will buy you time to make the magic (light painting, strobes, ghosts) happen!!
Photo Tip #113
Get CLOSER!!
This is the most common tip I give. Your main subject should be prominent in your photo!
“But I am shy.”
Get a telephoto lens! Or challenge your shyness: See Photo Tip #109 “Step outside your comfort zone. Try something that scares you just a little.”
Photo Tip #212 Use your histogram to check your exposures: Is there an appropriately tall spike on the left corresponding to the amount of dark (black) parts of the photo? Is there an appropriately tall spike on the right corresponding to the amount of bright (white) parts of the photo? Is there an appropriately tall spike in the middle corresponding to the amount of midtones? Yes? Then you have a good exposure…
Photo Tip #123
Go to a camera rental store and rent a lens you have never, ever used. Use it for a weekend to open new creative fun.
Photo Tip #141
Never delete bad photos.
Why?
1. There may be some value discovered later (ask about the first photos of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky relating to the Lewinsky scandal – the only photog who didn’t (couldn’t) delete the photos because he was still shooting film.)
2. Memory is cheaper than time. When you are in the field it’s better to spend your time looking for what you can shoot – missed moments are expensive.
3. You can often learn from the mistakes if you investigate what went wrong!
Photo Tip #167
Take time to see and actively investigate. It’s amazing what’s right in front of your camera if you take time to look!
Photo Tip #167 Take time to see what’s tight in front of you!!
Photo Tip #175
When prepping for a shoot always check your photo checklist!
Photo Tip #192
Nothing to shoot? There’s ALWAYS something to shoot! Challenge yourself to find new ways to shoot ordinary things…
Photo Tip #192 – Look for ways to make ordinary subjects more interesting…
Photo Tip #200 (One of my favourites)
Stop reading photo tips and go take some photos!!!
Photo Tip #201
Try to anticipate their next move… You’ll have a better chance of getting the shot!
Photo Tip #201 – Anticipate your subject’s actions.
Pro Perspective
I am self taught. Early on, I had few skills and relied heavily on any shreds of advice to help me get ahead. Soak up anything you can and remember to keep shooting (See tip #200!)
Homework
Learn any way you can: books, videos, workshops.
But soak up any tips you can get…
Join our Facebook Page for regular tips.
Visit PrimePhotoTips.com regularly to see and search the tips.
Final Frame
Read our tips.
Take photos.
Have fun!
Send us your favourite tips and photos.
And remember to enter our photo contest – entry deadline is July 29th, 2013.