Ten Unique Photography Tips For Beginners

1: Envision, plan, and then create

There is nothing–at all-wrong with looking at great photography to get creative inspiration.  Spend the time thinking and thinking of what type of photo you want to create and how you can do it.  Then, get to work.  Almost every one of my best shots are the result of weeks of planning.  Rarely did I just “happen” to find a great scene or model to photograph.  Make each photo “your own,” whether it be a little bit different lighting or composition, make it feel personal.

2: The histogram is NOT optional

Spending just 5 or 10 minutes to learn how to use the histogram can make a huge difference in your photography.  Personally, I use the histogram most of the times that I go out and shoot.  I use it when shooting a wedding to make sure that the bride’s dress is not overexposed, I use it when shooting landscapes in low light to make sure I am gathering enough light, etc.  Learn to use the histogram.

This photo would be pretty dull without great off-camera lighting

3: Learn to wirelessly fire the flash off-camera

By getting the flash off the camera, the lighting changes dramatically for the better.  Directional light throws pleasing shadows on the subject and highlights the natural curvature of the face. If you haven’t yet learned how to fire the flash off-camera, I recommend checking out my lighting gear recommendations page.  There, you’ll find a $20 flash trigger that works flawlessly. No need to change camera settings at all.  Just put the trigger on the hot shoe of your camera (the hook on the top of your DSLR) and attach the flash receiver to the bottom of ANY flash.  That’s all it takes.  Take a picture and your flash will fire.

4: Learn to change the active focus point

For most (but not all) photography, I recommend using a single autofocus point rather than allowing the camera to choose several points.  When many photographers learn to use one focus point, they often use only the center focus point.  To do this, they focus on the eye of the subject or on the correct place for a landscape, and then recompose the picture while holding the shutter button half-way down.  After composing to the correct composition, the photographer then finishes pressing in the shutter button. If you sit down for a minute with your camera manual and learn to change the focus point, then you will likely get a much larger percentage of your shots in focus.

Friends don't let friends waste money on cheap tripods

5: With tripods, it’s “Buy right, buy once”

Several of our Improve Photography community commented that they wish they wouldn’t have wasted their money on cheap tripods.  The cheapies might seem like good deals, but you’ll end up buying four or five before you finally break down and buy a good one that will last your lifetime. Not sure which tripod to buy?  Check out my recommendations of the best tripods on the market.

Ahhh... yes. That 'll do it. Just set down your camera, do the finger composition thingy, and everything will fix itself.

6: Photography is REALLY about composition and light

When I saw this tip, which was submitted by Roel Knol, Chand Dumbris, Patsy J Lander, on the Facebook page, I knew this one had to be included in the list.  Personally, I spent about the first year of my photography focused on the tiny little technical details, hoping my photography would improve.  I learned too late that great photography is about interesting light and strong composition.  Everything else is just a cherry on top.

7: Manual Mode

There is no need to be afraid of manual mode.  Just turn it on and start playing–you’ll figure it out quick.  If you understand what shutter speed, aperture, and ISO do, you’ll quickly learn how to shoot in manual.  Perhaps the biggest mistake beginning photographers make when starting to shoot in manual mode is that they expect to nail the shot the first time.  Manual mode is a process of trial and error.  You’ll get faster and faster at judging the correct settings, but you have to accept the fact that it will take a few tries for each set up.

8: Bounce flash

Most photographers buy a flash with their new camera, but most beginners just aim the flash head right at the subject and shoot.  If you point the flash at the ceiling or a side wall and bounce the flash onto the model, you’ll get significantly softer and more flattering light.  It’s incredibly easy to learn, but many photographers are afraid to try it for the first time.

This photo illustrates two principles: 

(1) This is a great use of exposure compensation to get a bright and warm feeling. (2) Yes, it is apparently possible to be TOO in love with your camera.

9: Exposure Compensation

I must admit that it took me a while to learn to use exposure compensation.  I felt like my head was already spinning just trying to understand the aperture, so the thought of changing the exposure in aperture priority was a daunting task when I started out.  Once I tried it, though, I was so glad I did! Exposure compensation is simply a way of telling the camera that the exposure it is picking is not what you want.  You simply scroll the little wheel on your camera to choose a brighter (+1 or +.7 exposure compensation, for example), or a darker picture (-1 or -.7 exposure compensation).  You set the exposure compensation and then the camera will choose the setting that it things is the correct exposure and then add or remove a little brightness according to what exposure compensation you choose.

10: It is NOT “cheating” to use Photoshop

I have strong feelings about the importance of using digital image editing in our photography.  In fact, I had a conversation with Dustin Olsen (who is working with me at Improve Photography now), about digital image editing a couple days ago and was glad to hear that he feels just like I do.  My photography is not news, my photography is art.  Just like a painter can put whatever she wants in a painting, I feel that I can do whatever I want to my photos in Photoshop as long as I don’t lie and tell people it is a representation of the actual scene. If you’re passionate about this topic too, check out this articleon why I think digital image editing is perfectly okay.

Some day my wife will divorce me if I don't clear all of my photo gear out of the garage

11: Don’t buy more gear until you hit a wall with the gear you already have

I often get emails from brand new beginning photographers asking what lens they should buy because their 18-55 kit lens isn’t sharp enough.  I’ll be perfectly honest… I’ve never met a photographer who has less than one year of experience who is better than the kit lens.  I’m not saying that their pictures couldn’t be helped out a tiny bit by a sharper lens, but I  am saying that there are about 100 more important things for a beginner to master before anyone is going to notice that the picture is barely less sharp from the lens.  99% of sharpness problems that I see are caused by poor shooting technique, and not a cheap lens.  Once the photographer masters the fundamentals, then a new lens is an important investment and the sharpness will definitely improve. The same is true for many other photography gear items.  It isn’t necessary to buy $3,000 in studio equipment unless you’ve already learned how to use a bare bones $120 lighting set upto its full advantage.  It probably isn’t necessary to buy a $1,500 macro lens until you’ve reached your limit by using a simple close focus filter.  It probably isn’t necessary to buy a 5d mark II until that is the weak link in your photography. I love gear, but I feel bad when I hear photographers say they feel limited by their beginner gear when, in reality, they should probably just get out there and shoot more.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Pancha Rathas, Mahabalipuram, Kancheepuram (Dist), Tamil Nadu (India)

This picture is taken in an extreme long shot in day time mode by LG handset camera phone.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Tiger Cave, Mahabalipuram, Kancheepuram (Dist), Tamil Nadu (India)

This picture is taken in an extreme long shot in day time mode with LG handset camera phone.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Mahabalipuram, Kancheepuram (Dist), Tamil Nadu (India)

This picture is taken in a mid long shot in day time mode by LG handset camera phone.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Mahabalipuram, Kancheepuram (Dist), Tamil Nadu (India)

This picture is taken in a long shot in day time mode by LG handset camera phone.

Know your doubts:
The monuments are mostly rock-cut and monolithic, and constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design are prominently visible. They are constituted by cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariots), sculpted reliefs and structural temples. The pillars are of the Dravidian order. The sculptures are excellent examples of Pallava art. They are located in the side of the cliffs near India's Bay of Bengal.
It is believed by some that this area served as a school for young sculptors. The different sculptures, some half finished, may have been examples of different styles of architecture, probably demonstrated by instructors and practiced on by young students. This can be seen in the Pancha Rathas where each Ratha is sculpted in a different style. These five Rathas were all carved out of a single piece of granite in situ.While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture made out of sandstone, which is softer than granite, under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve. The carving at Mahabalipuram must have required hundreds of highly skilled sculptors.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Kumarakom, Kottayam (Dist), Kerala (India)

This picture is taken in an extreme long shot in evening time mode by Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Kochi Marine Drive, Ernakulam (Dist), Kerala (India)

 

This picture is taken with an extreme long shot by Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera in evening time mode.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Kochi Marine Drive, Ernakulam (Dist), Kerala (India)

This picture is taken with a long shot by HTC Explorer in evening time mode.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Mananam, Kottayam (Dist), Kerala (India)

This picture is taken in an extreme long shot in bad whether rainy climate mode with Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Hill Range View, Koodal, Pathanamthitta (Dist), Kerala (India)

This picture is taken with an extreme shot and also with ant's eye view in day time mode by HTC Explorer Smartphone Camera.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

MC Road, Kodimatha, Kottayam, Kerala (India)

This picture is taken with an extreme long shot in evening time mode by Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Camera Controls

 

Image Sensor

Since the dawn of photography, cameras have captured and stored images on glass plates or on film. Today, digital cameras capture the images on a nifty piece of technology – the image sensor. The image sensor is made up of millions of light sensitive photodiodes set on a grid, where each photodiode records a tiny portion of the image as a numeric value that corresponds to a specific brightness level, which is then used to create your image. Image sensors, whether they are CCD or CMOS, vary from camera to camera but they’re basically the same, and the megapixel count shouldn’t be a priority in the decision-making process when buying a camera. Why? Because the size of the sensor is actually more important that the number of megapixels.

Camera Lens

A lens is an optical component made out of glass, high quality plastic, or ceramic, which captures the light and assembles it on a point of focus at the matte screen passing through a condensing lens inside the camera. If you are looking for ease of handling, you can go for point-and-shoot cameras with fixed lenses. However if you are concerned about picture quality, you should invest in a digital SLR (DSLR) camera with interchangeable lenses. Interchangeable lenses allow you to have much more control of your images, and to be far more creative than you can be with a point-and-shoot camera. All in all, DSLR cameras produce a more professional photograph.

Camera Modes

DSLR cameras are equipped with a variety of shooting modes that increase the automatic decision making of the camera. These cameras, thankfully, have semi-automatic and manual modes too, which put the control back in your hands for more technical and creative applications. In PROGRAM mode, the camera sets the exposure, but the user can adjust the white balance, ISO, focusing and metering. There are two semi-automatic modes: 1) Shutter Priority (Tv) is where the user sets the shutter speed and the camera determines the aperture. Shutter Priority allows the user to control how “the action” is captured. 2) Aperture Priority (Av) where the user selects the aperture and the camera determines the shutter speed. Aperture Priority allows the user to control the depth-of-field.

Built-in Flash

A built-in flash is provided with every digital camera. The camera’s computer determines need for flash according to the exposure metering, focusing and zoom systems. On compact cameras the built-in flash is triggered to go off in perfect sync with the shutter, but it’s hard to control the timing and intensity of the flash. This can result in washed-out photos. DSLRs have pop-up flashes that can be controlled in various ways to be in-sync with the shutter or drag behind the shutter; in addition the intensity can be manipulated in accordance to the overall light of the scene. DSLR cameras allow for more pleasing and artistic use of the flash.

Viewing System

Most digital cameras have two viewing systems - the optical viewfinder and the electronic viewfinder. While both systems show you what the lens sees, the electronic viewfinder can tell you other things about the nature of your digital image. One area where the electronic viewfinder is superior is in determining color balance. The electronic viewfinder can show where the highlights are overexposing (and if you’ll need to compensate). What is great is that you’ll see this in real-time. The optical viewfinder puts you directly inside the mechanical world of the camera, and tends to perhaps give you a better sense of the composition because you’re seeing exactly what the lens is seeing, not an electronic approximation.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Wagamon Hill Range, Kerala (India)

This picture is taken in an extreme long shot, focusing to the far range hills in a foggy wind in heavy bad climate mode with Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Wayanad Forest, Kerala (India)

This picture is taken in an extreme long shot with Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera in day time mode.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Ten Best Photography Techniques

1. Gather photography information as much as you can.

To begin with your career in photography at the right path, you need to gather more information about it first. Gathering information would provide you guidance on the right steps that you need to take. Researching can be done through the internet, talking to professional photographers, as well as reading some books about the subject. There are lots of web portals that are launched for it. Aside from that, there are also online forums, which are usually visited by both beginners and professionals in the field. With that, it can provide you an opportunity to ask them questions about different things regarding photography.

2. Purchase the digital camera that you want.

Even if you are still at the starting point of your photography career, it is best to purchase the type of digital camera that you really want. You should purchase something that can provide you with the kind of pictures that you want. By using a camera that provides quality photos, you would become more motivated in taking more pictures with it, even if you are still trying to learn about it.

3. Invest in a tripod.

Having a tripod can provide you with lots of benefits, as far as taking pictures is concerned. It is one of the things that you need to invest on, in order to have quality landscape shots. Aside from that, it would also help you in taking glorious pictures of sunset or sunrise.
Even with the use of a tripod, there is still a possibility that you would get blurred shots. This can be due to the way you press the shutter button, in taking the pictures. To get around that, all you actually need to have is a remote. Aside from that, you can also make use of your camera’s delay timer.

4. Time your shots well.

Timing your shots well is one of the keys in taking beautiful pictures. This is actually one of the reasons why some professional photographers would suggest beginners in the field, to make use of filmed cameras at the start. This is because, using such types of cameras can help a person develop a good habit in timing and choosing his shots, due to the fact that the film limits it.

5. Don’t hesitate to try new angles.

There is always a tendency for a beginner to stick on taking pictures of his subject head on. If you are doing that, you may be preventing yourself in finding the best angles. Thus, it is a good idea to try out different angles first. Try to be taking the picture from the top or from below. By doing that, you can have different perspectives of the scene.

6. Always look for candid shots.

Looking for candid shots can actually provide you with more opportunities of taking the best shots. When you check out different photos, you will find that some of the best ones are those that are taken without the subjects looking at the camera. Capture scenes where people are doing their usual things, and you will see how natural it would become.

7. Make use of UV filters on the front of your camera lenses.

UV filters can provide your camera with the protection that it needs, in order to stay in top condition. Place the filters in front of your camera lenses, so that your lenses would be protected from scrapes or knocks. With that, you can be assured that your lenses last longer.

8. Buy different lenses and swap with a fellow photography enthusiast to save money.

Camera lenses are quite expensive these days; and, having a good number of them would offer you more when it comes to taking pictures. However, if you want to save on cost, then find a friend who has the same brand of camera that you have. Aside from that, have an agreement with him in purchasing different lenses, so that you can simply swap lenses whenever you need to.

9. Research about your camera before making the purchase.

Before you purchase a digital camera for your newfound hobby, you should do your research about it first. Researching can be done through the internet, in which all you have to do is to visit the website of the manufacturers, in order to gather more details. Aside from that, you can also check out reviews, to learn about the experiences of people in using the camera in question.

10. Ask a professional photographer for feedback.

If you are a beginner, and you have a friend who knows a professional photographer, try to see if you can meet him. If you can, then take advantage of the moment, and ask him for feedback on your photos. By doing that, you would be able to make improvements on your skills, by listening to his advice. Aside from that, he could even become your mentor.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Wayanad Forest, Kerala (India)

This picture is taken in an extreme long shot with Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera in day time mode.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

St. Alphonsa Church, Bharnanganam, Kottayam (Dist), Kerala (India)

This picture is taken in an extreme long shot with Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera in day time mode.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Mysore Street, Karnataka (India)

 

This picture is taken during the morning time with an extreme long shot from Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Pala Road, Kottayam (Dist), Kerala (India)

This picture is taken in extreme long shot in day light mode from Sony Cybershot 16x zoom digital camera. Beginners, be remember that don't use your camera in direct sun light and before taking any snap in sunlight then cover your camera with shade cloth or go to find any shade place to stand and hold your camera. Its because by doing this it may cause harmful for your camera lens. If you are planning to go outside then follow the top 10 best photography tips as mentioned in the previous post.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Beginning Photography Tips:
Top 10 Techniques for Better Pictures

Making beautiful photographs involves nothing more than a bit of thought. While it often helps to have decent equipment, all you really need is to take a moment before each shot to think clearly about what you are attempting to capture or create. The following guidelines are intended to help novice, non-artistic, and/or non-technical picture-takers immediately improve their photography.

• Bring home much more pleasing memories from your travels;
• Make more artistic portraits of your family, pets, or friends;
• Be satisfied and excited instead of disappointed every time you look at your photos; or
• Simply enjoy the process of making pictures more;

Then read, study, and implement these simple guidelines.

Also check out these FREE Resources at BetterPhoto.com...

• photography newsletters
• galleries of beautiful photos
• Photo of the Day
  

  Top 10 Beginning Photography Tips

  1. Move in closer

  2. Be quick

  3. Compose with care

  4. Be selective

  5. Focus on your subject

  6. Experiment in time

  7. Look at the light

  8. Watch the weather

  9. Keep it simple

  10. Be Bold

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

KNOW YOUR DOUBTS

Hai guys, if you are a beginner in photography field then before take photos, always remember in landscape locations or as by your desired location will gives different views when looked at in different angles because the angle of view plays a major role like Bird's eye view (top view) or in case of Worm's/Ant's eye view (bottom view).

          When the viewer looks the subject to capture from his cam from above, say for example an aircraft, he/she will get a different view than when it is normally looked at our eye level. Most of the upper portions will be visible and bottom portions will be hidden. This view is known as 'top view'.

When the viewer looks the subject to capture from his cam from below, he/she can see the bottom portions instead of top portions. This view is known as 'bottom view'.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Vrindavan Garden, Mysore, Karnataka (India)

This picture is taken from Sony Cybershot Camera in night mode with long shot. 

 

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

 

Top View Pic

Hai guys, this pic is taken from the top view point to downwards the curved road coming to the upward mountain range.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)

Hungry Monkey

Nice view from Karnataka forest (India)

 

Hai Guys, this pic is taken in an extreme long shot from Sony Cybershot Digital Camera 16x zoom. If you are planning to become the best photographer so then go to nice landscape location like hill stations, gardens, amusement parks, aquariums or go to streets like rush places to snap for the busiest life of human being but be careful about vehicles and if you are a professional photographer then always keep the permit ID of photograph association with you when going outside and please take a good positions to hold the camera to get the photos in correct manner. Also watch discovery channels or browse to google and type nature images for the good results.

Subin Sebastian

(Creative Photography)