9 photography tips
that make a difference
Photography is not just a hobby, it’s a passion for us. It’s our way of capturing the world’s beauty and preserving moments that we can look back on and cherish forever. Whether you’re just starting out or have been shooting for years, there’s always room for improvement. Here are some of our favourite tips that have helped us take our photography to the next level.
Experiment with Perspective
One of the best ways to improve your photography is to explore your surroundings. Take a walk around your neighbourhood, visit a nearby park, or go on a road trip to a new place. There are so many opportunities to capture amazing photos wherever you are. When I’m exploring new places, I like to look for unique angles and perspectives to make my photos stand out. Try taking photos from different angles, such as low or high viewpoints, to add interest and drama to your shots. By doing so, you’ll be able to capture unique and eye-catching images.
Use natural light
Light is one of the most important elements in photography, and natural light is a photographer’s best friend. I love shooting during golden hour, the magical hour just after sunrise or before sunset when the light is soft and warm. But even during the middle of the day, natural light can create beautiful and dramatic photos. The key is to pay attention to the light and use it to your advantage.
Pay Attention to Composition
Composition is the arrangement of elements in your photo, and it can make or break your shot. The rule of thirds is a great starting point, but there are many other composition techniques you can use to create visually interesting photos. I like to look for leading lines, patterns, and negative space to create a sense of balance and harmony in my photos. With a well-composed photo, you’ll be able to direct the viewer’s eye to the subject and convey a clear message.
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Experiment with Depth of Field
When controlled correctly, depth-of-field is an amazing tool, but it is very easy to get lost in it’s beauty. Using the right settings, you can create a strong illusion of scale or convey mystery by hiding silhouettes in the foreground or background of your shot. By changing the aperture settings on your camera, you can control the depth of field and add emphasis to your subject. A shallow depth of field can help you isolate your subject and create a dreamy, blurred background. Portrait or product photography often uses DoF to guide the attention towards the subject. On the other hand, landscape photography is often lacking the shallow DoF and aims to get the whole scenery in focus. To come back into the food niche, whenever you are shooting flatlays, it is recommended to use a deep depth of field (~f/8.0) to make sure everything on your table is in focus. This is because of different heights of the elements in the composition, such as plates, garnishes, glasses and props to name just a few. It is quite late to spot that half of your shot is out of focus when you examine your photo shoot on a larger screen, therefore, get as much as you can done right in the camera and then focus on your creative juices in post-production. I like to experiment with different apertures to achieve different depths of field and sometimes, even play around with ‘focus stacking’. But we’ll get into that in another post!
Get creative with editing
This part is tricky. Most photographers starting out have a tendency to over-edit photos and adjust everything a little too much, but eventually, as they practice and dive deeper into the craft, they will soon look back at their work and spot a few of their exaggerations. We may or may not be guilty of a few face palms when we looked at our previous work, but it is an absolute must to go through that stage in order to learn and understand how very slight changes can compound into amazing looking shots and I am a fan of never stopping to learn. It isn’t always easy, although it is possible, to get the perfect shot only using the camera, but even then, post-processing is a key step in helping your photos stand out. Experiment with different editing techniques to take your photography game to the next level. There are a lot of settings and tweaks to make, but every slider and number has an explanation, you just need to spend some time with each of them in order to understand what they do better and then take control of your editing journey. I love experimenting with different editing techniques to achieve different moods and styles. It’s quite easy these days to find other photographers explain how they achieve their own aesthetics and styles using editing techniques and it is really worth spending time watching multiple artists discuss the same topic, just to see how different their choices and perspectives can be. There are so many great editing tools out there, from Lightroom to Photoshop to free mobile apps like VSCO and Snapseed. Don’t forget that shooting in RAW format gives you much more control over your photos when you get to editing them. RAW files contain a lot of invisible data compared to JPEG files, so you have more flexibility when it comes to adjusting exposure, white balance, and other settings. I always shoot in RAW format, this ensures the photos can be drastically modified in post-processing.
Be Mindful of Colour
Color can have a huge impact on the mood of a photo – it can be make or break in most cases. Consider the colours in your scene and choose colours that complement each other to create a cohesive and visually appealing image. You can of course take risks, but before you get to that stage, it is much more beneficial to get a grasp of colour theory and only then start experimenting. Knowing the rules and how to break them will definitely create something unique, so learn first, break later. By using colour effectively and deliberately, you can evoke some feelings that are pure and awake some long lost memories, which is not an easy thing to do, but practice makes perfect.
Seek Out Interesting Textures
Incorporating interesting textures in your photos can add a lot of character to your work. Look for textures in the background, foreground, or in your subject, and use them to create stories and guide the attention of whoever lays eyes on your work. By incorporating textures, you’ll be able to add dimension and depth to your photos, making them more engaging for your audience. As a photography enthusiast, I can tell you from personal experience that a macro lens is an absolute game-changer when it comes to capturing textures. The level of detail and clarity that you can achieve with a macro lens is remarkable and you’ll feel like you’ve discovered a whole new world.
Experiment with different lenses
Experimenting with different lenses can help you create unique and creative photos. As mentioned above, my personal favourite is the macro lens (Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro), but whether it’s a fisheye, telephoto, or macro lens, each lens has its own unique characteristics and can be used to achieve different effects. With so many options to choose from, there are just as many ‘fixes’ you will need to consider. There is compression happening in each focal length you choose, for example, a wide-angle lens can help you capture a sweeping landscape, while a macro lens can help you capture the tiniest details. You can experiment with a wide-angle lens whilst approaching tiny subjects, but you will see a lot of distortion, which sometimes is the creative element that was missing, so don’t let anyone hold you back. Once again, rules will help you understand how to approach your next photo idea. Learning about what is pleasing the human eye and aesthetics in general will give you a strong foundation when practising photography, but again, dancing around the rules is where the magic happens.
Practice, Practice, Practice
The most important part you can do to improve your photography skills is to always have your camera with you. You never know when the perfect shot will present itself. It could be on your morning walk, during your lunch break, or while you’re out running errands. I always make sure to have my camera with me, whether it’s my DSLR or just my smartphone, so I don’t miss any photo opportunities. Get out and take photos, try new techniques, and have fun with it. As someone said, even a broken watch is correct twice a day. Go out there and shoot, out of a huge volume of work, you are bound to find a few winning shots and the difference between being a beginner and a pro is understanding what made those shots stand out and start replicating that in a controlled, confident way.
In conclusion, these 9 photography tips can serve as a stepping stone for anyone looking to take their photography skills to the next level. By incorporating techniques like experimenting with perspective, using natural light to your advantage, paying attention to composition, and trying out different lenses like the versatile macro lens, you can capture breathtaking and one-of-a-kind photos. The key to becoming a skilled photographer is through consistent practice and a willingness to explore and experiment. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. As you capture the beauty of the world through your lens, you’ll not only improve your skills but also experience the joy of preserving memories and telling stories through your photos.