peterm1
Veteran
If we are being serious about this here are some tips.
- Remember the technical aspects when using a manual camera - shutter speed and aperture. Not just to get the right exposure although that is important, but also the right combination for the job. (e.g. Portraits - wide aperture on a longer focal length lens, street work and landscaps - small aperture on a wider angle lens etc.) While it seems obvious its foundation stuff.
- Think about what is the main subject and focus accordingly. BTW while you are at it, choose your lens accordingly.
- Remember the rules of composition. Rule of thirds especially. And get in close. One good close shot that tells a story by looking at the details is often worth a thousand wider shots that tries to fit it all in. Sometimes you can ignore the "rules" but most times you are better following them. They work.
-Focus on the details - make sure that the horizon is level and look to see what is behind your subject so you dont have a chimney growing out of someones' head etc.
- The big one for me is this one. Always carry a camera, but if you REALLY want good photos, then go out alone, and go out in a "photography mindset." I always find that if I am wandering around with a camera while in the company of other people it is hard to get the right shot as you always feel - often with reason - that you are bothering them by taking 10 mins to hang around a corner waiting for "that HCB moment." Besides, I find that if think as a photographer and I do nothing but concentrate on looking for shots I will begin to see them where I would not have seen them on a casual stoll. Once I "get my eye in" I find it easier to find and take good shots. It begins to become intuitive.
- Finally and heres where digitals are useful, take lots of shots and experiment. Take several shots of the same subject using different lenses and from different angles. Study your favouite "great" photogrpahers work and try to understand the techniques they have used. Thats the way to learn.
- I might add a postscript here too. In these days of computers. Remember that you canoften turn a "so - so" photo into something very nice indeed by Photoshoping. You do not need to do anything drastic. Just tweak exposure / levels and play with things like saturation or turn a colour photo inot black and white.
Thats it. Mind you I still chuck away far far more than I ever keep.
- Remember the technical aspects when using a manual camera - shutter speed and aperture. Not just to get the right exposure although that is important, but also the right combination for the job. (e.g. Portraits - wide aperture on a longer focal length lens, street work and landscaps - small aperture on a wider angle lens etc.) While it seems obvious its foundation stuff.
- Think about what is the main subject and focus accordingly. BTW while you are at it, choose your lens accordingly.
- Remember the rules of composition. Rule of thirds especially. And get in close. One good close shot that tells a story by looking at the details is often worth a thousand wider shots that tries to fit it all in. Sometimes you can ignore the "rules" but most times you are better following them. They work.
-Focus on the details - make sure that the horizon is level and look to see what is behind your subject so you dont have a chimney growing out of someones' head etc.
- The big one for me is this one. Always carry a camera, but if you REALLY want good photos, then go out alone, and go out in a "photography mindset." I always find that if I am wandering around with a camera while in the company of other people it is hard to get the right shot as you always feel - often with reason - that you are bothering them by taking 10 mins to hang around a corner waiting for "that HCB moment." Besides, I find that if think as a photographer and I do nothing but concentrate on looking for shots I will begin to see them where I would not have seen them on a casual stoll. Once I "get my eye in" I find it easier to find and take good shots. It begins to become intuitive.
- Finally and heres where digitals are useful, take lots of shots and experiment. Take several shots of the same subject using different lenses and from different angles. Study your favouite "great" photogrpahers work and try to understand the techniques they have used. Thats the way to learn.
- I might add a postscript here too. In these days of computers. Remember that you canoften turn a "so - so" photo into something very nice indeed by Photoshoping. You do not need to do anything drastic. Just tweak exposure / levels and play with things like saturation or turn a colour photo inot black and white.
Thats it. Mind you I still chuck away far far more than I ever keep.
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