Whether you are a beginner just starting out or are more advanced and looking for a quick refresher, here are some tips to guide you along the photo trail.
Travel Photos
- Try out unusual angles such as a high angle bird’s eye view or a low angle that might require you kneel down or climb a hill to get a great shot of tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon.
- A camera can be a great ice-breaker to set up a chat with a perfect stranger to get a great travel shot.
- Be respectful of people’s culture and privacy.
Nature Photos
- A tripod along with a telephoto or close-up lens will help you capture that tiny lady bug or enormous elephant without disturbing your subject.
- Step lightly and leave nature as you found it.
- Seek out and discover extraordinary landscapes, wildlife, insects, birds, seasonal colours and stunning weather patterns such as fog and rain.
- For serious shots of moving animals or birds, you may have to conceal yourself behind a protective blind.
- Study the work of award-winning nature photographers such as Tim Fitzharris for valuable guidance.
Photos of Children
- Children are best photographed in spontaneous situations with expressions and gestures that are not posed but rather fresh and relaxed.
- Work fast – because children move and change quickly.
- Consider having the child hold a favourite toy or involve them in a focused activity such playing in their sandbox if they have difficulty staying focused.
Action & Sports Photos
- Predict and be prepared for the coming action.
- Decide if you want a stop action shot or a blurred action shot.
- Pan your camera to follow the action to get purposeful blurring to create the impression of speed in photo conditions such as a racing car, downhill skier or twirling dancer.
- Check to see if your camera has a special “sports” mode to take pictures with optimum settings for a given scene.
For general photo suggestions, you might also want to review some tips at Powerful Photography. Also check out award-winning pictures in publications such as National Geographic.
Whether you view your photography as an enjoyable hobby, a serious art or a highly specialized technical science, if you want to get powerful photos, a photographer should reflect, scrutinize, be patient and persistent while also familiarizing themselves with the technical attributes of their camera. Award-winning photography instructor, Hans Dommasch once said that it’s not the camera or lens that make an outstanding photo. It’s the eyes and brain of the human holding the camera that determines a powerful photo.
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