this is one of the oldest rules in photography that never goes out of trend. if you want an eye-catching photo, this is a secret that experts use.
imagine four lines, 2 vertical and 2 horizontal. you then position important elements in the points where they meet. the subject is not placed right in the center of the frame since off-center composition is more natural and usually pleasing to the eye. furthermore, it allows the eyes to see the beauty of the other elements besides the subject.
avoid camera shake or blur by mastering how to hold your camera correctly. use both hands, one holding the body and the other one holding around the lens. make sure to hold it close to your body for firm support.
another way to prevent blurry results is to avoid shooting at a shutter speed that is lower than your focal length. typically, 1/focal length (mm) = minimum shutter speeds in seconds. for example, if you’re using a 100mm lens, your shutter speed should not be lower than 1/100th of a second.
using a tripod if needed also helps.
depth of field (dof) simply refers to the area in the image that is well focused or sharp. your camera can only achieve perfect focus at one particular distance. so anything that is in front or behind the subject appears blurry from lesser to a greater degree.
aperture affects the dof. it is like the pupil of your eye that allows light to pass through the sensor. when it is bright, it contracts to prevent light, whereas it dilates when it’s dark to allow more light in. wider opening (larger aperture) results in a brighter picture, and the smaller the aperture gives darker results.
larger aperture creates a shallower focus effect. it means that the subject is more focused and the background is blurry because you wanted to bring the subject into the viewer’s attention. this is usually used in portraits. on the other hand, a smaller aperture gives a smaller amount of blur in the background. this is typically used in landscape and architectural photography.
most people use flash only inside or when it’s dark because there is not enough natural light or ambient light. but some photos taken indoors with flash look unnatural. so if you can, minimize flash indoors. instead, increase iso like from iso 800 to 1600. use the widest aperture so that more light enters the sensor so you will end up having a nice blurred background. this is suitable for portraits indoors. if you must use flash, then use one with a head you can rotate and point the light to the ceiling in an angle.
for outdoors, utilize your flash. shadows can ruin your shots. like when your subject is looking at the sun, let them turn away from the sun and fill shadows with flash.
don’t be afraid to experiment with shutter speed to add spice to your shots. if you plan on using slow shutter speed movements for blur effect, ensure that the camera is stabilized to minimize movement. when capturing night time shots, try using a tripod with a shutter speed of 4 seconds. the movement of your subject is captured with light trails. but if you try it a faster shutter speed, you can notice that the light trail is not bright or long. it will even freeze in action.
you can also try other moving objects as your subject such as beach waves, cars running, people walking with different shutter speeds to capture blurred movements.
if you haven’t checked, this means the international standardization organization. iso is a setting in your camera that can darken or brighten your images. higher iso number gives you brighter pictures and allows flexibility on your aperture and shutter speed settings.
unfortunately, higher iso also gives you photos with a lot of grains. so it is suggested that you brighten your images with shutter speed or aperture, and iso should be your last resort.
it’s a technique of shooting wherein you turn your camera on a fixed head. take shots of moving objects with a slower shutter speed to create a feeling of speed. use a tripod if needed to avoid camera shakes.
decide on your backdrop before setting up that camera. if you want attention to your subject, a simple or plain background is perfect, especially for portraits.
don’t be afraid to make mistakes. nobody said your photos should always be perfect, especially if you’re just starting to explore photography. instead, learn from them.
of course, you worked hard for your pictures and you’re proud of your masterpieces. but try to learn to listen when somebody says it’s a little off and then try to fix it.