BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

Basic Photography Tips
by Professionals... for Beginners

Get ready for the most user-friendly basic photography tips there are. Use them every single time you're about to reach for your digital camera.

Use them for family portraits, action photography, baby photography, or pet photography (indoors or outdoors).

Do your photos turn out differently than expected and you wish you could find out why?

Do you feel intimidated by digital photography? That's OK. Many people do, especially in the beginning.

I don't know if you're like me, but the main reason I feel intimidated by new things, is because of that dreaded learning curve. Well, I have good news for you.

By the time we're through going over these basic photography tips, 90% of the learning curve will be behind you, and pretty soon, you'll find these photography tips becoming second-nature to you!

To help with the learning process, you're invited to receive our free newsletter (and free eBook) by completing the form to the left, under the navigation bar.

Your pulse has risen... the adrenalin is coursing through your body... you can almost taste the excitement! It's time to grab that electronic wonder and take some photos! Just remember one of the most basic photography tips there is--DON'T TOUCH THAT CAMERA. At least not yet. Make sure you first...

1. Get the camera bag

2. If the camera's not in it, put it in (Imagine how you'd feel if you dropped your camera not in it's protective camera bag)

3. Verify that the batteries in your camera as well as the spare batteries are FULLY CHARGED. (You do have spare batteries, don't you?!)

4. If you're going to be shooting indoors, also take the battery charger (I don't know if this should be considered a "basic photography tip" as much as basic planning, but in any case... be prepared.)

5. Determine if you could possibly need any accessories like a tripod, extra lens, filters, etc., and then pack them up.

6. Open the camera and check if the memory is loaded (There's basic photography tips, and then there's BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS. This one is even "pre-basic.")

7. Estimate how much shooting you'll be doing, and take with at least twice that amount of memory. (Nothing is more depressing than an incredible photo opportunity but... no more memory!)

8. If you're off to a major family event such as an anniversary party or a family reunion, don't forget to take the list of portrait posing ideas. You'll be so sorry if you forget!

The biggest cause of blurred photographs is what's known as "camera shake." My personal favorite of all the basic photography tips there are, is don't do that!

Although you are not consciously aware of any movement, the slower the shutter speed, the greater the chances for camera shake. To avoid ruining shots this way (don't worry-there are plenty of other ways to ruin shots), do your best on the following photography tips:

• Plant both feet firmly on the ground.

• Establish a natural and comfortable photography stance in which your elbows are tucked firmly against your body while the camera is pressed firmly against your face.

• Just before you snap the picture, take (and hold) your breath and gently squeeze the shutter. (If you jerk the shutter down too quickly, because of the excitement felt in taking the "shot of the century," you'll get it alright... but it will be blurred).

• If you've had caffeine (seriously!) or have slight hand shaking, do everyone a favor and use a tripod.

  It won't be embarrassing because you don't have to tell anyone why you're doing it. And, you'll even look more professional!

• If you don't have a tripod handy when you need one, brace yourself against a solid object such as a wall, a tree, or Uncle Bruno.

• Remember the "Inverse Ratio Rule," where your shutter speed should not be slower than 1 divided by the focal length of the lens you are using? You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?

OK, quick review; here's an example: if you are using a 100mm lens, you want your shutter setting to be faster than 1/100 of a second. If for whatever reason, you are using a slower shutter speed, please use a tripod or steady yourself against an object.

The waterfall photograph above was taken at F-11 with a shutter speed of 1.5 seconds.

If a tripod had not been used, the picture would have been so blurred that you could not even tell what it was supposed to be.

P.S. - the only way to achieve the "angel hair" look to the water is by using a very slow shutter speed.

As "Commander-In-Chief-of-the-Camera" ("CICOTC" for short), you are afforded certain privileges that mere mortals can never hope to attain.

One of the prime rules of etiquette tells us not to invade the personal space of others. However, when it comes to basic photography tips, you are encouraged to ignore this rule.

Depending upon how much of a telephoto lens you have (how much you can "zoom" your camera lens), you want to be close enough to your subject so that they fill at least 85% of the frame, while the background contributes no more than 15%.

The key assumption here is that the background in question is irrelevant. If, for example, you were posing your family for a multi-generational portrait, and it was taking place in front of a giant waterfall, you would probably want to bend the above rule.

The main challenge you will run into when following these particular basic photography tips is when you are taking flash photographs of subjects less than 6 feet away.

Moving from basic to intermediate photography tips for a second, controlling the intensity and type of light can make a huge difference in the final photograph. Some flashes create an unnatural-looking bright appearance. In that case, experiment with the following solutions:

• Use an external flash, attached to the hot shoe, and create a bounce flash off the ceiling or a wall

• Attach a diffuser over the flash head to create a softer, less intense light

• Bounce the flash off a white surface (a piece of white cardboard will do) rather than have it aimed directly at your subjects

• Use a "flash deflector" such as Lumiquest's Pocket Bouncer

• If you can increase the ISO setting without creating too much digital "noise," you may be able to avoid having to use a flash entirely

• If you don't have an external flash, it gets a little more difficult. If you have a Point And Shoot, you can experiment with different translucent materials and hold them over the flash; however, unless you can compensate the F-stop or shutter speed appropriately, your subject will likely be under-exposed

• The last option for Point And Shoots is to move the subject next to a window where there is enough external light coming into the room, in order to avoid having to use a flash. In this case, avoid the glare of the glass by shooting at an angle (that's a bonus basic photography tip)

There are many photo opportunities where it is not only acceptable, but actually preferred, to place the subject in the middle of the frame (examples being group shots of 5 to 15 people).

However, there are other times when doing so will only generate a very boring picture (no, this is NOT a basic photography tip on how to produce boring photos).

One of the most basic photography tips that exists is called "The Rule of Thirds." When composing a shot, divide up the picture frame into a vertical and horizontal grid of thirds (similar to a tic-tac-toe board).

Rather than placing your subject in the middle of the frame, place them at one of the four intersecting points on your imaginary grid. This will usually produce a more compositionally pleasing result. Just remember, like most rules, don't use it for every photograph.

Even though you're reading about basic photography tips doesn't mean you don't know anything about photography. In fact, I'm betting you know more than you think you do. That's why we created this COOPERATIVE VENTURE (more on what that means, very shortly). It's called, Ta Da...

Here's the "Cooperative Venture" part... After your post, check the other posts and try to help at least one other person. In this way, we can each "Pay it Forward" PLUS gain new ideas from others that will help our own photography. It's easy, helpful, won't put on weight, and doesn't cost anything. What a deal!

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