Photography Tips

Here are several simple tips on creating better photographs.

1. Use a tripod. A tripod is the single best weapon you have in creating photographs. Its use will remove camera shake and increase detail in your composition. 99 out of 100 shots should be taken on a tripod.

2. Get in close. Fill the viewfinder with your subject to eliminate unnecessary elements of your composition. The old adage, “Less is More” surely applies to photography and will increase the interest of your photo. Just don’t get in so close that you don’t have crop room on the photo for standard size crops. Leave yourself a little buffer around the edges.

3. Use mirror lockup. If your camera has mirror lockup function, use it. Mirror lockup locks the mirror out of the light path prior to the photograph being taken. The removes the vibration caused by the mirror movement when you depress the shutter release. This assumes the use of a tripod and shutter release cable. A word of caution; never point the camera toward the sun while mirror lockup is enabled. This can damage the imaging components of your camera.

4. Rule of Thirds. Divide the scene mentally into 9 sections using a tic-tac-toe pattern. Place point(s) of interest on one of the lines or on an intersection point of the lines. This adds a dramatic feeling to the composition.

5. Bracket exposures. Shoot several exposures of the same composition to help ensure at least one is what you want. Push the exposure a stop over and a stop under. Internal light meters in digital cameras and handheld light meters can produce inaccurate results under certain lighting conditions.

6. Shoot in portrait and landscape orientation on the same scene or subject.

7. For still water shots, keep the horizon out of the center of the frame. Put it 2/3 up or 2/3 down. This will make your shot more interesting.

8. Always remember rules are made to be broken and nothing is more true in photography. Never be afraid to think outside the box and break the rules.