Learn to take great photos by following professional techniques.
If you undertake photography projects, either as a hobby or as part of your employment, you may wish to enhance your results. Producing a good photograph often demands a special camera or photographic equipment. However, professional photographers have tips and techniques that you can use as well, even if you only have a simple camera. Obtaining good photography results with minimal or no added expense can provide great pleasure and a sense of accomplishment.
Light
Increase the amount of light in your pictures by adjusting your shutter speed and aperture. A slow shutter speed is 1/30, meaning that your shutter will open for 1/30th of a second. Increasing that amount of time (to 1/20th or 1/10th) will allow more light into your pictures and create brighter photos. Lower your aperture setting by raising the setting's number. This adjustment will increase the diameter of your camera's opening and allow more light to enter your camera.
Adjust for Light and Action
Adjust your camera's ISO setting so that it reacts to the available light. Different cameras have differing ISO ranges, but the ISO settings on many cameras range from 100 to 1600. Set the ISO to higher setting for indoor, low-light settings. You can also use a higher ISO setting for action shots. High ISO settings can result in a grainier images and weaker colors so if you plan to enlarge your photo or if you will need a high resolution photo, use a lower ISO setting.
Positioning
Use a tripod when photographing people. This reduces the possibility that your hands will shake the camera. If you plan to position a subject, position the head and body facing different directions. When you pose a group of people, stagger their head heights. Match the lighting to the mood of the photo. If the mood is happy, maintain a high-key lighting setup, including using white clothing and a white background, keep the subject halfway between camera and background and don't allow any shadows to appear in the photo.
Bold Colors
Use a polarizing filter if you plan to photograph bold colors. Turn the filter to an angle that allows you to control the light's vibrancy and reduce glare from the subject. Alternately, you can adjust the aperture down by increasing its setting to a higher number. Experiment by adjusting the aperture by one setting at a time until you achieve the effect that you want. Another option includes dialing down your camera's ISO, which will make the camera's sensor less sensitive to the light.
Getting the Right Photo
Take multiple photos of the same object or scene. Vary the background, composition and perspective as well as the amount of light, shutter speed and aperture. Stand closer and then farther away. The more photos you take the more opportunities you'll have to select one afterward that is exactly what you want.
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