Photography advice in three easy steps

Photography is about capturing and immortalising a specific moment in time, from a flying bird to the crescendo of a rock concert.

Whether you have a cameraphone or a digital SLR, it doesn’t matter – in the end, it all boils down to the person behind the lens, in other words, you!

Here are some tips and tricks on how you can take better photos:

Be Original!
Nowadays we see so many copycat photos which are plain and boring. Be original! Look for unique angles, vibrant colours and cool patterns.

For portraits, try getting down low and looking up for an ominous twist, or look down from above for an air of innocence.

Use different compositions, for example: photograph just half of someones face instead of it all.

Use the Light
Use the light to your advantage: if it’s cloudy outside then the light will be soft and diffused which is perfect for flattering portraits. Beauty shots of models are often taken in this kind of light.

If it’s a bright sunny day then use the harsh shadows it will create to take moody and atmospheric portraits. Alternatively use if for a back-light effect; from the correct position you can get a beautiful rim of light around your subject.

The brighter the light, the faster the shutter-speed and the faster the shutter speed, the sharper your shots will be. Use bright sunny days to take action-freezing shots of your dog leaping or your friend diving into a pool with all the movement suspended in time.

Look Beyond the Obvious
Look closer or wider than normal for more detail or impact.

Zoom in for specific details such as the colourful iris in an eye or the veins in a leaf. Zoom out for a wider view which can create cool perspective lines that will draw the eye straight into the photo.

And finally, most important of all, don’t forget to have fun!

Words and images by Joe Kellard (WildLight).