Learning how to take professional pictures can be a fun and rewarding experience. Everyone, these days is running around “snapping pics”, but very few are taking professional quality photographs. Using your equipment, different lighting methods, experimentation, and rules of composition, taking professional grade photos will be much easier. So come along with me and begin your journey to learn how to take professional pictures!
It is imperative that you know and understand your camera. The digital cameras that are out these days have an abundance of settings. By carefully reading the manual that comes with your camera you will begin to understand what these different settings will do to the lighting, focus, and coloring of your photos. Take your time when reading the manual so that you can fully comprehend what aspect of the photograph that each setting will effect.
Another piece of equipment that will allow you to take more professional pictures is a tripod. By steadying your camera on a tripod you will eliminate camera shake, blurring and off angle shots. Sometimes, if you are going for a certain effect in your photo you will want the cameras hand held, but in most cases a tripod will be a great asset to attaining more professional results.
Lighting can make or break a picture. Direct, harsh lighting might be good for a high contrast shot, or for defining a landscape image, but not for most photos. For most portrait, and studio photography it is necessary to diffuse the light. This will soften the shadows and even out the contrast of your images.
Diffusing the light can be accomplished as easily as pointing a lamp at a white sheet or piece of Bristol board instead of directly on your subject. There are also diffusing shields and flash umbrellas that you can use, but they are generally quite expensive, and sometimes complicated to use. Also, the direction and source of the lighting will help to enhance the quality of your pictures.
One of the most important ways to learn how to take professional pictures is to practice. In the old days of film, experimentation was costly and time consuming. Digital photography has totally revolutionized the picture taking process. Having the ability to view your photos immediately and delete any that do not turn out right allows for a greater latitude in experimentation.
Always take the time after a photo shoot to sit down and analyze your pictures. Examining each photo and remembering the process used to take it will help you to learn what to do next time.
There is a basic rule to the composition of a photograph. When looking through the viewfinder, imagine splitting the frame up into 9 equal boxes. You will want to put the major elements of your picture on the intersecting points and lines of these boxes. This will give you a much better composed photo rather than just putting your subject in the middle of the frame all the time. After you get used to composing this way then you can begin to break the rule for even more stunning images.
Using these ideas will help you greatly in learning how to take more professional pictures. And don’t forget to just keep taking more, and more, and more pictures, not only to improve the quality of your photos, but for the fun and enjoyment of it.
Dave Grierson is an avid photographer who loves to play with his cameras… learn more about taking professional photographs by clicking on the following link: http://digitalphotographysuccessreview.blogspot.com/
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_L_Grierson
