How to Take Good Pictures

Many people want all of their pictures to have perfect quality but rely solely on the camera to make it happen. Others understand that it is not the camera but the photographer that makes pictures great but do not know how to do so. This article will explore several aspects of quality picture-taking that the majority of photographers-in-training ignore while expecting their camera to do all of the hard work.

Get A Good Camera
The first thing to do in order to take good pictures is to purchase a good camera. A good camera does not need to cost several thousand dollars and be top-of-the-line in order to take good pictures but it should have good zooming capabilities, flash, and allow the user to transfer their pictures to a computer. While good pictures can still come from mediocre cameras, a good camera will make the job a lot easier. Good digital cameras can be found on places like eBay and Amazon for affordable prices.

Focus
A common problem with taking good pictures is getting the focus just right. Many cameras, even high quality ones, tend to focus more on the center of the scene rather than on the whole picture. This creates a serious problem when a photographer wishes to take a picture with the subject being at a certain angle. Fortunately, this problem can be easily solved by aiming at a scene with the subject in the center of the picture and then pressing halfway down on the capture button while the camera adjusts the focus of the scene and locks it into place. Once the focus is locked, the photographer can then move the camera to the preferred angle and press the button all the way down. Be sure to keep the button pressed halfway down the entire time until the picture is ready to be taken.

Lighting
Another common problem with taking good pictures is that the lighting in the room or area is not adjusted for the picture. This can make the picture either too dark or have bright, blotchy spots all over it. A picture should always be previewed before it is taken which is why purchasing a digital camera is so important. While previewing the picture, be sure to adjust the light as much as possible to create the preferred image. Automatic flash technology is great for this as it can make a dark area as bright as day in the picture or even dim down daylight to fit the best interests of the picture.

Level
As the subject in a picture can be anyone or anything, it is important to adjust the height of the camera to fit the height of the subject. For example, the best picture of a dog would probably be taken at a dog’s level rather than at a human’s. Some objects, however, such as trees, buildings, or vehicles, will require the camera to be at a different height in order to make a good picture. Test out different levels and see what works best for different subjects.

Proximity
Even with the best zoom in the world, a camera can only see so far. More importantly, a camera can only see clearly for so far. Because of this, it is important for a photographer to get up close and personal with the subject of the picture. It is equally important, however, to not get too close. By experimenting with different distances, a photographer can make either the subject or the background stand out more and thereby make the quality of the picture much better.

Angle
Although few realize this, pictures tend to look a lot better when the camera is turned on its side. By doing this, the scene is adjusted to focus more on the subject of the picture rather than background objects that are not important. Many of the greatest photographers in the world move their cameras around in many different positions to capture the subject in many different forms. By experimenting with different angles, a photographer can take much better pictures.

Practice
Finally, the most important thing to consider when taking good pictures is practice. A photographer needs to take pictures as often as possible so that he/she can gain real experience in quality picture-taking. Someone who wishes to take good pictures should simply take pictures of everything that they see and try to get a “feel” for what the best conditions are. No amount of reading can truly educate a photographer on how to take good pictures.

How to Take Good Pictures of People

The most important thing when it comes to taking good pictures of people is the level of comfort between the photographer and the individual whose picture is being taken. Once this comfort has been achieved, it is significantly easier to take good pictures. To achieve this level of comfort, try and keep the shoot conversational. Between pictures, talk to the individual. The more relaxed they feel, the better the pictures are going to be.

Components to a Good Picture
There are a lot of different components that make up a good picture. However, there are a few that are really key. The first is the location. The background of the shot can offer some good detail to the picture without stealing from the actual person being photographed. For example, a large lake or a beach is always nice because they are calm, beautiful pieces of land. However, despite how beautiful they are, the focus can still be on the person. Taking a picture with hundreds of cars driving by can be distracting.

Another key component to taking a good picture of a person is the lighting. When taking pictures, it is important to have the sun light behind the photographer either to the left or right. This way, the light is not blinding out the picture, but there is at least enough light to make the person appear. If there is not enough light and the person is in a shadow, purchase a white poster board and have that set up to attract more sun light. Otherwise, the picture comes out dull.

Typically, the photographer has a good idea on what type of picture they want. One way to enhance that picture is to consider the framing. For example, is the person directly in the center or are they off to one side with the background on the other side? These are all questions that can really make the picture. Formal pictures typically have the person right in the center; however, those pictures that are supposed to be a little more candid tend to be off-center.