By Eric Cross

There is a famous quote that alludes to the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, while agreeing with this quote, it is essential to state that a well taken photograph is worth much more than a thousand words. Indeed, an excellent photo has the ability to not only express beauty, but also store the fondest of memories. Photography is an art which requires skill and technique. To help you gain the necessary skills, here is an article outlining 5 basic ideas for photographers.

photo: Peter Trimming

1. Acquire the best camera
   It is quite hard to talk about ideas for photographers without mentioning the camera; for it is the device through which photos are taken. Cameras come in various sizes, shapes, color and most importantly resolution powers. There is no doubt that technology has revolutionized the photography industry because it has spearheaded the manufacture and production of high resolution cameras which have the ability to shoot crisp-clear photographs. Therefore, the first and most essential idea to great photography is to ensure that you are equipped with a powerful camera.
2. Detail
   Taking a great picture is about capturing that particular detail which will make the difference. Every photo should be taken with absolute creativity to ensure that all the details are captured. Even when there appears to be no outstanding detail, try to look closely and you will certainly find one. Just like drawing a picture to represent a thousand words, creativity goes a long way in delivering a memorable photo.
3. Light
   Cameras directly depend on sufficient lighting to produce excellent shots. While this is not to say that photos cannot be taken during the night or in dark places, it is important to confirm that light is an integral element of photography. If you intend to take photos in locations where natural lighting is alien or limited, you have to use an artificial lighting source such as electricity to increase your chances of taking a beautiful picture. Although technology has brought us powerful cameras which are capable of independently taking photos in dark locations, you have to keep in mind that the trick here is to shoot great pictures with these 5 great ideas for photographers.
4. Background
   Almost always, a great photo has an amazing background. Here, two aspects of photography come into play; instant and selective. There are times when you have to take photos without having the option to change locations or backgrounds for that matter. A case in point is when you are taking photos of people attending a certain ceremony. You are required to make use of your creativity and alertness to produce high quality picture, but when you have the freedom to choose from various backgrounds, be sure to go with smoky or watery backgrounds as they bring the best out of a photo.
5. Photo framing
   Of these 5 ideas for photographers, photo framing is definitely the easiest to implement. This is largely because framing the photo adds a touch of creativity and design to it. Different photos require different frames for them to be great. You need to exploit the use of various frames to determine the most suited to fit on a particular photo.

In conclusion, there are numerous tips, but the outlined 5 great photography photo ideas will give you a perfect start to taking awesome pictures! Once you master these basics you can start looking towards more advanced techniques like trick photography and special effects.

Author Eric Cross

Eric Cross is a budding photographer who balances his time taking photographs with time spent writing about taking photographs, putting together a free tutorial guide for everyone wanting to learn about trick photography and special effects. 

Article Source

By Eric Cross 


Photography can be a very difficult thing to master, as there are so many different sorts of techniques that not many are aware of. Fortunately, with a ton of practice and a lot of hard work, any beginner photographer can become the best they can be.

Photography is way more than just taking pictures, it is a form of art that requires patience and a lot of creativity. Without these two factors, you will become just another photographer trying to making it in this huge industry.

With the simple advice below, you can maybe get to become a photographer that exceeds the skill and talent of all the other photographers out there.

Before you even start to get serious you absolutely must have a decent tripod...

Photog At Work by michael horodyski

1. Watch Your Exposure

Being careful with your exposure likely is one of the most important techniques when taking amazing pictures. Most cameras however were made to already be very skilled at calculating the right exposure levels, especially if the lighting of a scene is even.

However, under certain light conditions, the camera could easily be thrown off. That is when you must need to step up your game and take control of the situation.

If a photo is dark, it means it is under-exposed, and when it's too bright it is over-exposured. Practice controlling your exposure, and your photos will always look perfect.

It is also worth understanding your white balance. To begin with you can just check your environment and select a white balance setting that matches it. Is it sunny? Use the sunny setting. Is it cloudy? Use the cloudy setting etc...

2. Compose Your Frame

Composition of pictures refers to the things located in a frame. These objects can be the subject, the foreground, background, and anything else which may appear in the photo.

Understanding proper composition in photos is a crucial technique to perfect when creating top-notch images. Fortunately, there's a simple method you could follow when first learning what composition is.

This technique is called "Rule of Thirds". It isn't an obligation to employ it when taking photos, but it can help enhance the structure or composition of an image making it more interesting to the eye. The most important element in a photo should be located within these areas, or in the area where these lines intersect.

Portrait - Rule of thirds and Fibonacci spiral by Marco Ciofalo Digispace

3. Work With Motion Blur

Blurring motion in pictures is a very fun effect that can make a simple photo look extraordinary. Plus, perfecting this technique will even allow you to learn how to gain total control on your camera's shutter speed.

4.  Master Bokeh

Bokeh is basically the quality of blur in out-of-focus parts of a photo. Bokeh can be obtained by simply controlling the depth of field in an image. This depth is the distance between the farthest and nearest elements of scenes that are in-focus. Deep focus means everything in your photo is sharp. Where shallow focus means only one specific area of the image will be sharp.

5. High Dynamic Range

HDR is a technique of capturing a range of shots between the lightest to the darkest areas of a scene (the dynamic range). You will need to employ AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) to make this work so you will also need a tripod.

Taking HDR photos is a little challenging at first, but it's a great skill to practice. You'll have to work the images together post-processing the images to achieve the final result. So it is also a smart introduction to use Photoshop or any other imaging software to do this - photomatix being one of the most popular.

Light and Dark by Steve Huskisson

Author Eric Cross

Eric Cross is a budding photographer who balances his time taking photographs with time spent writing about taking photographs, putting together a free guide for everyone wanting to learn about trick photography and special effects. 

Article Source: 5 Essential Techniques in Photography