6 Cool Suggestions For Photography Hobbyists

Here are five quick tips for those of you starting out with photography.

1. Hold your camera right

   Holding the camera right means many things. It aids you in the composition and a firm foot helps you keep the motion artifacts down. Use your left hand as a base to hold and support the camera while the thumb and forefinger controls the lens rings. With the right hand you grip the camera and use its forefinger to fire the shutter. Keep the horizons straight. Stand firm and if required lean or take support for your camera against the walls and the trees in absence of a tripod.

2. Plan your photo

   Very important. You must know what kind of results you want. Sometimes it purely a matter of luck that a photo comes out to be a surprisingly amazing. But do your homework. Visualize what the camera will see and how you’d want to capture it. Planning your photos goes a long way in getting you photographs that leave a lasting impression.

3. Use the right equipment

   While there’s nothing that will keep a creative pro from getting the results they want, but all other things being equal the equipment that you use can make all the difference. Of all the digital cameras available you want to pick an SLR. That’s the camera the professionals use. It captures light and detail well while keeping artifacts to a minimum. It gives the control you need over your equipment over things that make or break the appeal in a photograph. The same goes for a lens. Investing in a good quality lens is a must. The camera only captures the photograph. However it’s the lens which all this light travels through. Never undermine the optics. Check out a few digital cameras at Test Freaks.

4. Shoot till you are satisfied

   The beauty of digital is that you never run out of film. You don’t have to take shots in dark and speculate the result. It’s instant. Thus the more you shoot the more you learn and experience. Shoot as much as you like and of all the shots pick the best. The below was shot handheld – nope it was also the lotus that was plucked-handheld. I had already taken several shots but I didn’t give up even after it was plucked. Later while analyzing I found this to be the most appealing.

5. Don’t hesitate to give a few finishing touches

   In the days of the film, retouching was more dignified than it is today in the world of Photoshop. While you can make the clothes transparent and do all kind of trickery as a photographer you must use these tools to give a natural finishing to your work. It was there in the days of the film and it will be there in the days to come. If there’s something you couldn’t correct while shooting, try to fix it in the post-production. Here’s what I did to the above to get the feel I wanted. Nothing much but just black and white.

6. Experiment

   Or the more misused “break the rules” if you will.  Nothing can compensate for experimentation, experience and creativity. So every once in a while take a moment to experiment and see what works for you than what works for others.