Learning the Basics: How to Take Better Pictures

Article by: Mark Piatkowski (August 2006)

 

If there’s one question that people always ask me, it would be the “I just bought a new camera, and the pictures don’t look any better than my older one.” It’s always find it hard for me to say, “It’s not the camera, it’s you”, but actually that’s usually the truth. People automatically assume that they will take wonderful pictures if they buy the top-of-the-line camera, which isn’t always the case. Yes, the pictures will have better quality and color, but what’s the point of having a good camera if you can’t use it to its full potential? Below are a few tips to make your photography look better and hopefully make those expensive cameras pay off.

1. Learn your Camera's Settings.
Yes, learn your camera. This actually requires…get ready…reading your owners manual. Gasp! The owner’s manual is not that thick booklet that lies under your bed and collects dust. It’s actually a very useful book that describes your camera in and out, and is a mandatory procedure if you want to improve your photography. Not only will this make you more familiar with your camera, but also most manuals describe what all the settings actually do. Many cameras now come with more than one shooting mode, for example- Automatic, Manual, P, Av, Tv, Night Mode, Sports, etc. Most people don’t bother using the other modes, because they don’t know what they do, so they just stick with Automatic mode the whole time. This maybe fine for those people that just want a camera to capture a few moments in a year, but Automatic mode usually creates rather boring pictures and almost always uses flash which creates harsh and unrealistic lighting. This was the first step I did when I got my DSLR camera. I learned what everything does, and then experimented, instead of scratching my head when something didn’t come out right. So learn what all the setting and shooting modes do, and get out and test things out with them!

2. Viewfinder > LCD.
This tip is actually opinionated, but is a good thing to keep in mind. For those who don’t know, the viewfinder is that little glass window that you look through to take a picture. Pftt you think, that’s what I have my LCD screen for! Well not so fast. LCD screens are not as precise as the viewfinders, meaning they usually only display a certain percentage of the actual image, usually have a slight delay of what the lens actually sees and what you get, and it eats your battery alive (for breakfast). Well alright you think, but how does this actually improve my photography? For me, when I look through viewfinders I feel that I actually concentrate more on taking actual pictures. This is mostly due to the fact, because all you see in the viewfinder is what you’re going to take a picture of. The LCD screen is on the outside of the camera, so it sort of distracts you instead of focusing on what you’re taking a picture of. This is why all professional SLR cameras don’t feature a live LCD screen, and only use it to view the images that they have taken.

3. Composition.
Ahh, composition. A fancy-shmancy word that reflects on how your picture is, well composed. This word is one of the most important key factors that separates amateurs from the professionals. However, this is one thing that you just don’t “boom” learn in a day, you acquire it from time and experience. Ever notice on television interviews, that they never put their subject in the center or the picture? They always put their face off to the side of the frame. Why? Because if they put it in the center, it would be boring! Plain and simple, they try to spruce it up and try to make an ordinary interview sort of interesting in a way. This technique is called “Rule of the Thirds”, where the photographer splits up the frame of the picture into three vertical and horizontal sections and tries to put his subject where the lines intersect. But wait, composition doesn’t just stop at the Rule of the Thirds, there’s more to it. Putting your subject off the center of the frame is a start, but having it off center for a reason is much better. To better understand this, lets imagine a real life example. Say you are taking a picture of a car on a deserted twisty road. You position the car in the center of the road, and start taking pictures. The first picture you take, you position the car in the center of the picture, as would most people. Wait, did you just do something wrong? Yes! You have a twisty road, and you didn’t include that in the picture! Use it to your advantage. So, next you position the car off to one corner of the picture, revealing the twisty road. Now at first glace, the road leads your eye onto your subject, the car. So now, not only did you substitute the Rule of the Thirds, but your background leads your eye onto your subject, which is very important. So that is my quick composition 101. Using the Rule of Thirds is a start, but using it for a reason is much better.

4. Wait and Anticipate!
A good picture consists of good lighting, composition, subject matter, and most importantly timing. Capturing a picture at a key time is usually what puts it over the top of a just “good” picture, and into the wow “great shot” spectrum. Having a technically wonderful picture, but capturing your subject matter too early or too late is just down right depressing! That is why, you have to be patient and wait for the right time. Most people click the shutter button not thinking of what their subject is doing or going to do for that matter. When shooting weddings or social events, I always have my eye on the viewfinder and wait for anyone to tell a joke, just to capture the guests all smiling and laughing. A shot like this just creates a happier atmosphere, rather then everyone prepositioned and forced to “say cheese” for the picture. However, this tip is useful for practically any subject matter at all. For instance, when I photograph Motosport Rally events, I scout for points where I know the car will be sideways or in action. And when the cars come, I have my eye on the viewfinder and my finger on the shutter and anticipate when I sense any sort of action. This tip can be also put to use when shooting sunset landscapes. I explore different spots that I think would look good, mostly facing in the west, because that’s where the sun sets. I position the camera on the tripod, and just wait until the light is just right. Timing and patience is virtue.

5. Getting the Right Exposure.
Exposure is the amount of time it takes to record a scene properly. If the exposure is too long, then your picture will come out too bright (overexposed). Like wise, if the exposure is too short, then you will get a very dark looking picture (underexposed.) Nowadays, with sophisticated cameras, this exposure thing should be a piece of cake right? Not really. Even with today’s complex photo chips and sensors, it is still very easy to get an over or underexposed picture. This all comes down to one thing, metering. While cameras can meter the right exposure, you are the one that tells the camera which exposure is right to meter. Huh? To make it easier to understand, lets imagine another real life example. Lets say you are taking a picture of your friend inside their room. You position your friend right in the center of the room, but oops look; there are bright windows all around. You take the picture and find out that you can’t really see your friend, however the windows are correctly exposed. Well this is because you metered your camera on the windows, not your subject. The camera chose the right exposure for the windows, but not your friend. Now meter your camera on your friend, take the picture, and chances are they will show up exactly like you were hoping for. This is a very easy step, but it is one that alot of people overlook and don't think of. They hit the shutter, and then get upset when their picture comes out all dark or bright. If you find yourself in this position often, try to think of what you are metering on.

Hopefully after reading these 5 steps, you will have a better understanding of how your camera works, and how to properly use it to it’s full potential. As you can tell, the camera does exactly what you tell it to do, not visa versa. Keep these 5 tips in mind next time you start shooting…

 

 

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