Help for the at-home photographers
Ever wonder why the photos you take at home don't look the way they did in your mind? There are a lot of little tips and tricks that can help, and no... they are not "buy a $3000 camera." Actually, when people purchase those very expensive and "professional" cameras, but don't know how to use them, the photos tend to leave a lot to be desired. Don't get me wrong, once you know how to use them, a more technical camera can be great, but if you know how to actually take an excellent picture, you can do so with just about any camera. Here are a few short tips.
1. Don't overthink or over-pose. If you see two people standing, talking, laughing and you think, "that would be an excellent photo," just take it! Don't walk over and ask them to stand close and smile while you get your camera ready. Any time taken in this way will lose the spontaneity of the moment, as well as making the people you are posing feel more and more awkward as the seconds tick on.
2. This brings me to tip number two... be ready. If you are at a family gathering or a public event where you know you will want to take pictures, have your camera ready. By this I mean make sure there are charged batteries, the camera is set to the correct mode (i.e. the flash is already on if it is dark or indoors), the camera is on and IN YOUR HAND, or at the very least in an easily-accessible pocket. Don't leave it in the bottom of a bag or purse sitting on a table somewhere where you will have to rush off and find it to snap a photo that probably won't be there when you return.
3. Get closer. I don't mean stand 6 inches from your subject, but make sure whatever or whomever you are photographing takes up a good portion of the photograph. Have you ever been looking through a friend's photos and had to ask what exactly what you were supposed to be looking at because all you can see is a really boring picture of their yard? That is when they explain, "Oh, there was a really pretty blue bird out there." When you strain your eyes to the point of a headache you may be able to spot the tiny blue speck smack dab in the middle of the half-dead grass in the photo. If this friend had gotten a little closer, you may be able to see what they were looking at. If you have a zoom lens, great, zoom in! Not everyone has the money to get a fancy camera with a telephoto lens, so this is when we use this crazy invention called LEGS! Just take a few steps in the direction of what you are photographing and you will have a photo that people will actually respond to when looking at!
4. Be conscious of angles. There are certain angles that make EVERYONE look bad. Then there are those of us who don't look like supermodels anyway, in which case even more angles make us look bad. Just think about these things. Under no circumstances should you take a photo of a person straight-on, especially if they are near a wall or something else to put their backs against. They will look about 20 lbs heavier than they do, as well ac accentuating any body flaws. Turn your subject to a 45 degree angle, even if you don't do anything else. If the subject is heavier, do not take photos of them sitting while you are standing. They will look like they have sagged and spread all out over their chair (looks even worse if they are on a couch or chair where they sink in). Women should be photographed from eye level or higher when possible. This makes areas that many women don't like about themselves seem smaller (double chins, tummies, hips, chest). Men on the other hand can be photographed from eye level or below because it makes them look larger, not in the fat way but in the masculine way. It will look like they are able to protect and save anyone, which is something to be desired in a man's photo. Finally, and this seems silly that I need to mention it but I have seen it firsthand, do NOT take a photo of someone bending over. I don't care if they are picking up their cute little baby or puppy and you wanted that captured, wait a few seconds until they are upright. Nobody wants that photo of themselves in circulation ANYWHERE EVER!!!
5. Be conscious of your surroundings. This may seem like a simple task but it really isn't. Make sure there aren't trees in the background that look like they are growing from someone's head. Also, that there isn't a creepy hairy guy in a red speedo in the background of your beach photo of your adorable child. No matter how cute your kid may be, everyone who looks at the picture will see the guy in the speedo. This is just a good thing to keep in mind when taking pictures!!!
Hopefully these tips may help someone! If not, at least I've put it out there!
1. Don't overthink or over-pose. If you see two people standing, talking, laughing and you think, "that would be an excellent photo," just take it! Don't walk over and ask them to stand close and smile while you get your camera ready. Any time taken in this way will lose the spontaneity of the moment, as well as making the people you are posing feel more and more awkward as the seconds tick on.
2. This brings me to tip number two... be ready. If you are at a family gathering or a public event where you know you will want to take pictures, have your camera ready. By this I mean make sure there are charged batteries, the camera is set to the correct mode (i.e. the flash is already on if it is dark or indoors), the camera is on and IN YOUR HAND, or at the very least in an easily-accessible pocket. Don't leave it in the bottom of a bag or purse sitting on a table somewhere where you will have to rush off and find it to snap a photo that probably won't be there when you return.
3. Get closer. I don't mean stand 6 inches from your subject, but make sure whatever or whomever you are photographing takes up a good portion of the photograph. Have you ever been looking through a friend's photos and had to ask what exactly what you were supposed to be looking at because all you can see is a really boring picture of their yard? That is when they explain, "Oh, there was a really pretty blue bird out there." When you strain your eyes to the point of a headache you may be able to spot the tiny blue speck smack dab in the middle of the half-dead grass in the photo. If this friend had gotten a little closer, you may be able to see what they were looking at. If you have a zoom lens, great, zoom in! Not everyone has the money to get a fancy camera with a telephoto lens, so this is when we use this crazy invention called LEGS! Just take a few steps in the direction of what you are photographing and you will have a photo that people will actually respond to when looking at!
4. Be conscious of angles. There are certain angles that make EVERYONE look bad. Then there are those of us who don't look like supermodels anyway, in which case even more angles make us look bad. Just think about these things. Under no circumstances should you take a photo of a person straight-on, especially if they are near a wall or something else to put their backs against. They will look about 20 lbs heavier than they do, as well ac accentuating any body flaws. Turn your subject to a 45 degree angle, even if you don't do anything else. If the subject is heavier, do not take photos of them sitting while you are standing. They will look like they have sagged and spread all out over their chair (looks even worse if they are on a couch or chair where they sink in). Women should be photographed from eye level or higher when possible. This makes areas that many women don't like about themselves seem smaller (double chins, tummies, hips, chest). Men on the other hand can be photographed from eye level or below because it makes them look larger, not in the fat way but in the masculine way. It will look like they are able to protect and save anyone, which is something to be desired in a man's photo. Finally, and this seems silly that I need to mention it but I have seen it firsthand, do NOT take a photo of someone bending over. I don't care if they are picking up their cute little baby or puppy and you wanted that captured, wait a few seconds until they are upright. Nobody wants that photo of themselves in circulation ANYWHERE EVER!!!
5. Be conscious of your surroundings. This may seem like a simple task but it really isn't. Make sure there aren't trees in the background that look like they are growing from someone's head. Also, that there isn't a creepy hairy guy in a red speedo in the background of your beach photo of your adorable child. No matter how cute your kid may be, everyone who looks at the picture will see the guy in the speedo. This is just a good thing to keep in mind when taking pictures!!!
Hopefully these tips may help someone! If not, at least I've put it out there!
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