Photography is much more than just taking pictures of things. It is an art

form and can help us remember some of our most treasured

memories. However, few people actually take the time to wait for that

gorgeous shot and may doubt their ability to do it effectively. Plenty of times I left the beach after thinking the sunset was going to be cloudy and then to sea a breath taking sky in my rare view mirror on the way home. This article

contains some great tips for improving your photography skills and

capturing beautiful photographs that will be appreciated by many.

 

One of the most common photography mistakes is people not taking

the time to truly understand their camera. If you have a decent digital

camera, it comes armed with many features that can be used to

enhance the quality of your photographs such as different light settings

or flash speeds.

 

You've probably often heard that using your flash outdoors is

unnecessary to take great pictures. Wrong! Unless there is very bright

sunlight outside, you should still be regularly using your flash. Even on

cloudy days, picture quality can become compromised by not using a

good outdoor flash setting.

 

Many people are quick to jump at photo opportunities and just take any

old picture. However, the secret to great photography lies in taking the

time and having the patience to wait for the perfect shot to come along.

If you are photographing still items, set them up exactly how you want

them before taking your first shots. If your subject is on the move, take

multiple shots with a rapid-picture camera to ensure you get the best

picture possible.

 

Our first inclination is to snap pictures of objects that are centered in the

camera's lens, but taking off-center pictures can be a great way to

spice up your photographs. Taking a picture of a subject that is off-

centered in the photo adds an interesting element people may not

expect to usually see and can get your photographs noticed.

 

When photographing people, always make sure to avoid direct sunlight

in the background of the photo. This will make odd shadows and add

an undesirable element to the picture. Position the people so the sun is

to the side, but not shining directly in their face either. This will cause

the subjects of your photograph to be squinting uncontrollably.

 

Pictures that have multiple subjects or a busy foreground can highly

benefit from a simple background to keep attention directed toward

your subjects. However, if a simple background isn't available, many

cameras can be focused to the foreground. This will cause the

background to become more subtle and blurry, thus eliminating a busy

background setting.

 

If your camera has a macro -photography feature, use it! The macro

feature has the ability to focus in on very tiny subjects close up and is a

great way to portray a lot of detail on a very small area. Things like

small insects will immediately come to life with the use of this feature

and will help you get great shots of the smaller things in life.

 

As you can see, photography takes patience and skill, but with a little

practice you will be able to get great shots every time. By utilizing the

ideas presented in this article, you will be able to spice up your

photography, add detail and variety to your shots, and create lasting

memories through the art of photography.