11 Quick Lessons to Improve Your Photography


Here are some interesting and fun things to try out with your digital camera. Have a look at this and play around - it will be fun, but you will also learn valuable lessons about taking pictures that will be useful for improving your photograph taking skills.

Underexpose -This is great for highlighting eyes and close up facial features. The effect is that it creates a darker mood.

Overexpose - The opposite to underexpose is to overexpose. Try your hand at this and see the effect it creates, of a light feeling that makes the details disappear and the image smooth.

Get someone to pose - Find a friend who isn't camera shy and get them to pose in different positions around different pieces. Get creative as to where and how the pose is composed.

Using the sun - face the camera towards the sun but place the object you are taking shots of between the camera and the sun. Get it right and you will see a silhouette emerge.

Mirror images - really hard to spot but they make excellent photographs! To look for reflections and mirror images keep an eye out for windows, mirrors, shiny surfaces and even water.

Shadows - have you ever tried shaping your hands in front of a lamp making a shadow that looks like a bird on the wall. Take a snap of it from a low angle and see the shadow grow.

Up close and personal - pay attention to detail. Try capturing the arrangement of freckles or dimples on someone's face. Or a close up of your pets nose!

Black 'n White - give something that classic and smooth feel with a black and white photograph. Most digital cameras these days offer this option.

Props - see what is around you and use it to add to your scene.

Traveling? - make sure you capture the expression, color and atmosphere. When back home boast about the interesting people you met.

And there's always photo editing that allows one to adjust color, sharpness, lighting, correct compositional errors, etc. Photo editing software has many features that are only understood by experts, but by playing around with it you can pick up quite a bit. Remember to keep the original copies of the photos you are playing with, in case the results are not what you planned!