Tripods
Tripods can help you take great photographs in two ways.
While you get the tripod out, set it up and put the camera on it, you will have the time to look around you and at the scene you want to capture. You'll become aware of other elements such as composition, lighting or little obstacles between you and the subject not immediately apparent. The more aware you are of these elements, the more likely you are to take a good photograph.
The added advantage is you eliminate camera shake and snatching, your camera is steady, allowing you to take sharp images and work in low light conditions such as dawn, dusk and misty days.
Alternatively, there is the 'mono pod'. These only have one leg and whilst they don't have the stability of a tripod, they have a greater stability than just your hands. If you do a lot of walking, there’s a good chance you own an extendable walking cane and a number of these do have a tripod mount inside the top that turns them into a mono pod.
If you have a lightweight camera, you might consider purchasing an ultra lightweight tripod. These are small, don't weigh much, don’t cost very much and easily fit in a backpack or camera bag.
In reality, you don’t need to buy any of the above. Any horizontal surface can make a 'tripod'; chairs, fences, rocks, walls, roof of the car, anything. Experiment.
Angles
I mentioned above about taking lots of photos from different angles. Most photos are taken at eye level, so try tilting the camera left or right to try different positions of your subject in the frame. Try taking the photo from below, or above your subject. Sit or lay down, stand on chair, a balcony or from a bedroom window. Try moving further away or getting closer. The aim, as I keep on saying, is to experiment.
There's always more than one way to take a photograph. Using different camera angles can make an image stand out and the more you practice and experiment using different angles, the better you'll know what works for you and what doesn't.
Daytime Flash
One of the best uses of flash is in sunlight. I will cover flash in depth in other articles but for now, flash helps to eliminate dark shadows in portraits, for example under the eyes and chin. It can also help to emphasize the subject. It can add highlights or a twinkle in an eye.
If taking pictures of subjects with sunlight behind them, such as a portrait, or a lily in a pond reflecting the sun, the camera will read the bright surrounding light and the subject will appear too dark; by using the flash, you can fill in the shadows making the picture much more pleasing. Yet again I say, experiment.
Tripods can help you take great photographs in two ways.
While you get the tripod out, set it up and put the camera on it, you will have the time to look around you and at the scene you want to capture. You'll become aware of other elements such as composition, lighting or little obstacles between you and the subject not immediately apparent. The more aware you are of these elements, the more likely you are to take a good photograph.
The added advantage is you eliminate camera shake and snatching, your camera is steady, allowing you to take sharp images and work in low light conditions such as dawn, dusk and misty days.
Alternatively, there is the 'mono pod'. These only have one leg and whilst they don't have the stability of a tripod, they have a greater stability than just your hands. If you do a lot of walking, there’s a good chance you own an extendable walking cane and a number of these do have a tripod mount inside the top that turns them into a mono pod.
If you have a lightweight camera, you might consider purchasing an ultra lightweight tripod. These are small, don't weigh much, don’t cost very much and easily fit in a backpack or camera bag.
In reality, you don’t need to buy any of the above. Any horizontal surface can make a 'tripod'; chairs, fences, rocks, walls, roof of the car, anything. Experiment.
Angles
I mentioned above about taking lots of photos from different angles. Most photos are taken at eye level, so try tilting the camera left or right to try different positions of your subject in the frame. Try taking the photo from below, or above your subject. Sit or lay down, stand on chair, a balcony or from a bedroom window. Try moving further away or getting closer. The aim, as I keep on saying, is to experiment.
There's always more than one way to take a photograph. Using different camera angles can make an image stand out and the more you practice and experiment using different angles, the better you'll know what works for you and what doesn't.
Daytime Flash
One of the best uses of flash is in sunlight. I will cover flash in depth in other articles but for now, flash helps to eliminate dark shadows in portraits, for example under the eyes and chin. It can also help to emphasize the subject. It can add highlights or a twinkle in an eye.
If taking pictures of subjects with sunlight behind them, such as a portrait, or a lily in a pond reflecting the sun, the camera will read the bright surrounding light and the subject will appear too dark; by using the flash, you can fill in the shadows making the picture much more pleasing. Yet again I say, experiment.
Three views of the same subject
HINTS & TIPS
THE ABSOLUTE BASICS 3
THE ABSOLUTE BASICS 3
Terry O'Donnell
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