Learning how to take good photographs is hard! It takes practice, time, and most of all, you’re going to make lots of mistakes. That’s okay! You’ll make so many mistakes that there will be no way you can stop trying until you learn what makes a bad photo and what makes a great one.
Some people start off by experimenting with different settings and positions before moving onto more difficult concepts like exposure and composition. Others find it helpful to learn specific skills such as taking pictures of still life or landscapes, then generalizing their knowledge into capturing action photos or close-up images.
There are so many ways to approach photography that anyone can pick up the basics and have fun doing it.
Practice, practice, practice
Learning how to take good pictures is not like learning any other skill — you can’t just do it for fun or even to make your friends look cool!
It takes lots of practice to get good at anything that requires fine motor skills (like writing) or sensory perception (like taking pictures).
Practice makes perfect!
That’s what this lesson focuses on. It will walk you through some easy ways to start practicing your photography so that you know the basics and can add more advanced features as time allows.
There are many great resources available online and in stores full of tips and tricks for aspiring photographers. But none of that matter if you can’t actually put all those lessons into action and have someone appreciate your work.
Surround yourself with great photography
A lot of people say that you can’t learn how to take good photographs, but they are wrong! You CAN learn how to take nice pictures if you keep looking at them.
There is an app called GIPHY which contains millions of photos that have been uploaded by users worldwide. Many of these photos are beautifully composed and aesthetically pleasing. If you spend some time every day browsing through this site, you can start to pick up some tips and tricks from all of the wonderful images there.
The best way to learn about photography is to just look and experiment! Keep trying new things, read different tutorials, and observe what professionals do in the field.
Pay attention to little things
One of the most important things you can do as a beginner is to understand how light works! There are many ways to learn this, but one of the easiest is to look at everything you already know and see how it functions in photography.
Light is an essential part of taking good pictures, so why not use it for your benefit? By understanding the basics of light, you’ll be able to take more creative control over yours.
You’re already aware that intensity or brightness of light gives shape to an image, but what about color? What about contrast? And how does all of this relate to other parts of the photograph?
These are just some of the questions that arise when thinking about light in relation to photography. But don’t worry, they’re pretty simple concepts to grasp!
The next time you take a picture, try experimenting with different types of lighting. Use natural sunlight, flash, both, and compare the results. After getting the hang of it, you could even create your own photographic lightning by controlling the settings of your device.
Take pictures of your surroundings
One of the best ways to learn how to take good photographs is by taking as many photos as possible! What we mean by that is, instead of trying to create artistic or clever images, try taking pictures of things you would normally not spend time shooting.
Take some close-up shots of random objects or people. Or, if there’s an interesting background element, pull out your camera and capture it in all its glory.
Whatever you choose to photograph, don’t worry too much about what settings you use or whether anyone else could have taken better photos than you did. Instead, focus more on capturing the essence of the image and creating moody, intimate photographic scenes.
Try different lighting settings
One of the best ways to learn how to take good pictures is by trying out new light sources. There are many types of lights you can use in your photographs, including natural light, studio light, sun light, and artificial light (flash).
Natural light is usually sunlight that is able to illuminate your subject easily. For example, taking pictures at dawn or dusk is very popular way to capture beautiful photos.
Studio light is totally controlled light source that is typically placed several feet away from the subjects. This type of light is almost always using an external flash or special lighting equipment such as a work lamp or desk light.
Using flash is not recommended for beginners because it may cause too much exposure which will be really dark and unpleasant. Working with natural light is better option since there is no need for extra flashes!
Sunlight is another powerful tool when learning photography. You should never underestimate the power of direct light either. By having the right amount of direct light, your photo will look more professional and striking.
Artificial light like a flash or working lamp is helpful in creating interesting images but you have to know when to use it.
Learn the basics
After you learn how to use your camera, move onto learning about different parts of the photography field. This includes things like photoshop, light theory, exposure, composition, backgrounds, and so on.
There are many great resources available free online or through software that teach these fundamentals. Some of the best sites for beginners include:
And don’t forget about experimenting in nature! Take some time outside to capture beautiful pictures.
Once you feel comfortable with the basics, then advance to more advanced levels. But first, try taking as many photos as possible!
Photography is a craft that can be practiced, repeated, and mastered over and over again. The more you expose yourself to art forms such as painting, drawing, and/or sculpture, the easier it will become to see the beauty in still images.
Learn how to edit your photos
Editing is another way to add depth to your photography. There are many ways to learn editing, but you can start with something simple like changing the color of an object or taking away some parts of the image.
Once you have mastered that, you can move onto more complex things such as adding fun textures or creating beautiful silhouettes.
There are several free software programs that allow you to edit pictures easily, so do not hesitate to try out new ones! Some examples of this are GIMP, Photoshop, and Pixlr-Swipe.
Gimp has been around for a very long time and is quite popular, making it a good starting place if you are already familiar with it.
Learn how to use different software programs
Many professional photographers use specific photo editing software to do various things like edit, enhance, and create new photographs. These software applications are very popular, with each one having its own crowd of loyal followers.
There are many free photoshopping apps available online that can help you get started as a photographer. Some of these apps have limited features, but they’re easy to use so most people don’t notice the difference.
By experimenting with free apps, you will learn some key skills for taking good pictures. It is also a great way to explore different types of photography and become familiar with the settings and tools in pro grade software.
Many professionals start off using casual or low cost Photoshop or other similar softwares before moving up to paid ones. This is because it gives them enough functionality to gain experience.
So why not give it a try? There are plenty of resources available to teach you everything you need to know about this app.
