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Photography tips for beginners
Use your existing camera
When you are starting out as an amateur photographer, having the latest top-of-the-range camera gear is not crucial, as most DSLRs are of a solid standard for beginners. Use equipment you already have and are comfortable with, and focus on improving your creative skills and knowledge of camera settings.
Learn your camera settings
There are a lot of camera settings, and it takes some practice to get them right, especially as a beginner. It’s really worth being brave and switching your camera out of ‘Auto’ mode, so that you learn all about your camera settings and how to adjust to create the right setup for different types of photos.
The three most crucial are aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, which are the settings that directly affect the brightness of a photo (apart from flash). Master how to use these correctly and you will avoid over and underexposed photos and produce that ideal balanced look of the light.
Think about composition in your photos
Putting thought into your composition, ensuring all the interesting elements are covered clearly, is a simple way to keep your photos neat and engaging. Make sure the horizon in landscape photos is level, and try to keep the composition balanced and simple. Keep experimenting with angles and composition until you have it just right – small adjustments can make a big difference.
Consider using a tripod
Tripods are a great addition for photographers, as they both help eliminate the difficult issue of a lack of light and improve the stability of your camera, meaning your photos will be sharper and clearer. If you are taking your time over photographing a stationary subject, such as a landscape, architecture, or still life, then it is worth considering a tripod to get the shot set up perfectly.
How to avoid blurry photos
There are 2 key points to avoiding blurry photos:
- keep your camera lens clean with a microfiber cloth and lens cleaning solution at least once a week
- Make sure you have a good-quality filter on the front of your lens to protect it from scratches, cracks and dust, especially when outdoors – cheaper ones can blur the edges of your shots.
Make use of post-processing
You can’t always get things perfect in the field, so give yourself a chance to add that extra 5% with post-processing, to turn a good photo into an excellent one. Subtle tweaks to remove imperfections, impart a mood and guide the viewer’s eye can work very well.
If you want to post-process your photos, remember to shoot in in RAW or RAW+JPEG so you have the most adaptable original to work from.
