How to Take Good Pictures

Ever since my first shoot was published, people have been asking me how to take good pictures. Even though there are many different types of photography, most of the key tips I give end up being the same for all.

Use the Correct Camera

The number one tip that I give is to use a Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera. You would not believe how many “self proclaimed” amateur photographers use a point and shoot camera.

I know that with the advances in technology, digital cameras and memory are getting better and better every day, but there is just not enough versatility with a point and shoot. They are great for general day to day snapshots, but they will never match up to the versatility and professional results obtained with an SLR camera.

With that said, with more versatility come more functions. So, once you have a good SLR (preferably digital), read the owners manual. Learn how to control the shutter speed, aperture settings, ISO (film) settings, and white balance.

Note: ISO settings are only optional in a digital SLR. In regular SLRs, ISO is related to the film used.

Use the Viewfinder Properly

Too many photographers shoot much wider then they really want and rely on cropping to fix the shot. This just causes more work later, and there may still be too many distractions in the shot.

When you look through the viewfinder, you are actually looking through the lens. This is why, with an SLR, “what you see is what you get.” By taking everything in the viewfinder into account, you may notice distractions that you otherwise would not have.

I hate it when I feel that I have taken that perfect shot only to later see something in the background that draws my eye away from the subject.

Composition

One of the most popular composition techniques is the Rule of Thirds. First divide the scene into nine equal parts in the viewfinder (like a tic-tac-toe board). Where the dividing lines meet is where subjects of interest should be located. Any vertical or horizontal lines, such as the edge of a building or a natural horizon, should be placed on a corresponding dividing line.

This technique causes stress in the scene, and this stress causes interest.

Keep in mind that the more a shot is prepared before taken, the less likely Photoshop will be necessary.

Note: Set your white balance with your camera before each major session change. This will also save time with having to make corrections in Photoshop later. The answer to how to take good pictures does not involve correcting them later.

Portraits

While the subjects above on how to take good pictured usually word for all styles, there are some techniques that are best for certain styles. With portraits, the subject does not encompass the entire scene so it is important for the subject to stand out.

The easiest, and I feel one of the most dramatic, ways of bringing out the subject in a portrait shot is to use a narrow depth of field. The depth of field is the depth of the area in front of the camera that appears in focus. This is controlled by the aperture setting. The lower the setting, the bigger the opening in the aperture and the more narrow the depth of field.

Note: This allows more light in so, shutter speed and/or ISO settings must be used to compensate.

Shooting the subject in the depth of field with the foreground and background out of the field causes only the subject to appear in focus. This results in the subject really standing out and even seeming to pop out of the picture.

Landscapes

Landscape photography is another style that has specific necessary techniques. With landscapes, the entire scene is the subject; it is usually desired to have the entire scene equally in focus with a wide perspective.

In order to obtain this, an infinite depth of field is needed along with a lens that allows a perspective broader than the human eye. This is why wide angle lenses are commonly used in landscape photography. These lenses allow a large perspective of a scene to be captured.

In order to keep an infinite depth of field, it is necessary to use a high aperture setting. This causes the opening in the aperture to be very small. To compensate for this the shutter must be left open longer. With that in mind, it is absolutely necessary to use a tripod or other camera stabilizing apparatus with landscape photography so the camera will not move while the shutter is open.

I hope this article has been helpful. If it has, the next time someone asks how to take good pictures, feel free to pass it along.

Jonnie Blaylock is a hobbyist photographer that helps new photographers learn how to take good pictures and more.