Congratulations; this is the very first step to become a great photographer! There is a lot of available information about photography; so much so, that it can be overwhelming and hard to know where to start. This article provides you with several tips and techniques that will immediately improve your photography skills.
This next piece of advice is helpful! Learn as much as you can about the speeds your shutter has. On your SLR camera there are several settings; S, A, M and P. P means your program mode. The P is the automatic setting. Choose this to let the camera decide on the aperture speeds and shutter speeds. Use this setting whenever you are unsure of what it is you will be photographing.
Try using a variety of shutter speeds to determine the best methods for different settings and circumstances. You can either capture a precise moment or use a higher exposure to blur together a period of time. Fast shutter speeds are perfect for motion shots, whereas slower shutter speeds are good for natural, calm photographs.
There’s so many different features to play with on your camera. Make sure you adjust your colors and angles while experimenting. A high quality photograph does not require an original subject. It just requires an original way of thinking. A good photographer makes even insignificant objects look interesting. Experiment to find a style that works for you.
When choosing which of your photos to show others, choose the ones of which you are the most proud. Don’t show all your photos, or even too many images of similar subjects. Seeing the same things repeatedly can become boring. Aim to show a collection of distinctly different photographs that demonstrate a wide range of your photography skills.
Most modern digital cameras have a flash that automatically deploys when they detect low-light situations. Auto-flash is great for amateur photographs, but for a cleaner more professional look you should have an external unit with a broader range for your camera flash. Try to get a camera with what is known as a “hot shoe” that can take an external flash, and make sure to ask a professional camera shop if it will sync with the camera.
If you’re on a trip, it’s best to start capturing photos the moment you leave. Once you arrive you may find plenty of times to take pictures, but photograph the journey too. An airport has a lot of interesting things to take photos of, so add these to your trip diary of photos.
When shooting photographs inside, under fluorescent lights, experiment with your camera’s white balance setting to adjust out the bluish hue. If you want to take pictures under fluorescent lights, compensate for it by pushing the tone of your picture toward the red side of the color scale, since this type of lighting gives a slight blue or green hue to the picture.

Take pictures of people. Make sure you always ask if it is okay before you proceed. If you are on a vacation and taking tons of photos, you can look back at them later and reminisce about particular events and times that are memorable. Many times the people in the photos do not seem particularly important or noticeable at the time you snap the picture, the reason you frame the shot to begin with will be clear when you look back at them. Look for candid pictures and casual clothing.
When composing a shot, keep in mind the artistic axiom “less is more.” You should never have tons of clutter or other elements in your shots. Keeping things simple in your photos is what catches your viewer’s attention, simplicity often creates a big punch!
Try out different approaches to scale, expressions and perspectives. Simple objects take on whole new looks when photographed in a non-typical setting, or when placed in a silly or unusual situation. Putting an object somewhere creative can help something familiar look very unique.
It is a good idea to give your subjects some advice about what to wear before they arrive on location, so that you can take the best photograph possible. They do not have to match, but the photos will look better if the colors that are worn complement each other. Suggest clothing in neutral colors or warm shades because they will blend best with natural backgrounds or settings. If your subject wants to wear a bright color, try pairing them with something neutral so it does not clash.
Giving yourself some limitations can help you be more creative. For example, set a goal for the day to only shoot images that represent a single concept, such as “sweet.” Try to shoot 100 different photographs from the same point or within the same room. You can use these limitations to make you think outside the usual parameters.
Though you may want to set your camera at a low setting to store more pictures on the storage card before downloading, know that you sacrifice image quality when you do that. Only use the lowest image quality settings if you are completely sure that the images will only be viewed on a computer monitor.
Now that you have read this article, you probably have some idea of what you need to do to become more proficient in photography. Make use of what you have learned from this article, and come back to it for a refresher as needed. Keep working on perfecting your photography, your work will pay off!
Do your own photo editing! There are lots of different editing software programs you can use. Choose software that has a ton of different effects and editing tools available. Opt for the software program that appears to be the most user-friendly.