Retire in Paradise

At some time in your life you have been the photographer behind the camera. We take photographs to record special family events like births, weddings, and family gatherings. We also like to use photographs to record other special events, such as parties or celebrations with friends. When you are behind the lens of a camera it is up to you to compose the photograph. Ideally, this is done without cutting someone’s head out of the photo, or including all sky with just faces lining the bottom of the photograph.

Two important first steps for beginners are to learn how to compose photographs and learn to improve technical skills. Photography is a grand mixture of art and skill. If you lack in either artistry or skill it will be reflected in your photos.

One aspect of taking good photos is knowing where to stand. You have to develop an eye for which angle will take the best picture and where to place your subject in the frame. The smallest change can change a photo that would have been a mess into a masterpiece.

A monotonous mistake made by most beginners is that they think they have to center the subject in every photograph. Logic dictates to take the photo from the center, but sometimes if you move the subject off center you will add a new dynamic to the photograph. A great way to learn to compose pictures is to apply the rule of thirds. Using this concept divide the frame into three parts horizontally and vertically. Place your subject on one of the intersections and you will be able to compose a dynamic photo. The only setback to using the rule of thirds is that it does not work for all photographs, but in general, it is a good rule of thumb.

Improve your basic knowledge of your camera and technical skills will also help improve your photos. The more you know about your camera and how to use it properly, the more creative and flexible you can be with your photography. By all means, one of the first things you need to learn is how to focus your shots. There is nothing that can be done to improve an unfocused photograph, the moment and the photo is gone forever. Make learning focus a priority.

Under exposing and over exposing are two very common mistakes. Exposure will depend on the lighting conditions and the ambiance you are trying to capture. The best way to learn this skill is to practice by taking pictures. One thing you will learn, for example, is when to use a flash. A flash is good for close shots, but if you are more than 20 feet away the flash will do you no good. Longer exposure time, using a tripod, is a good way to take pictures of distant objects.

The best thing you can do to improve your photography skills is practice, and then, practice some more. The more photographs you take, the more your skills will improve. You’ll be taking amazing photos in no time.