Basic Photography Fundamentals For Better Photos

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Although people think of photography as a luxurious hobby, it’s an important factor in our daily lives. Most of the time, we make decisions based on these representations we see.

When we travel and book our accommodations, we look at photos of hotels and homes. Even when we decide where to go, we’re not satisfied with the stories we read. We also check out photos of the places we might see. When buying online, we look at photos of the products. Even when we choose lifestyles, follow opinion leaders, or decide what to do on the weekend, photos influence it all.

So maybe we should understand them a little better..

Lighting

The word photography itself means drawing with light. And remember that light affects the way we perceive colors. The light, therefore, plays a big deal in capturing your images. Aside from how light affects how we see the colors of an object in front of us, it changes further when viewing on-screen because the quality of the gadget and the resolutions of their screen would vary. This is why photography used in eCommerce is more complicated, something that is done professionally. There are too many factors to consider in presenting a product enticingly.

The reason people put on heavy makeup when going to events is not only so their features could be seen from afar. It’s because of the bright lights often filling these venues, washing out colors. Notice how in art galleries, lights are dimmed, and pin lights are often a warm yellow. It’s to highlight the contrasts and colors of the artworks. Light also affects shadows and thus the definition of the subjects you are capturing.

Unless you bring with you some lighting equipment, what you would be working with most of the time would be natural light. It’s the best kind of light to keep the colors in your images as close to the original as possible. The best time of day to capture photos is when the sun is not too harsh. That’s in the early morning or late afternoon. This is good to remember when you plan your travel itineraries and want to capture the best shots.

Composition

The second thing to pay attention to in your photos is the overall composition. Often, people just look at their subject and maybe some scenic background. However, people don’t look at how a branch of a tree or an object in the background could affect the entire image. This oversight is the reason for having funny photos. Common examples are the images of people looking like they have weird protrusions from their heads or backs. This is the very basic aspect of composing a photo that you need to be careful of. After that, you can worry about aesthetics. There are several techniques to make your photo look pleasing and somehow balanced. These include the rule of thirds, framing, and clustering. You can learn more about these techniques in basic photography lessons.

When you’re not capturing scenery, like when you want to show off a new trinket, the safest is to use a plain background. You want the viewer to focus on your subject and not on an intricate tablecloth.

Editing

Professional editing takes time. But if it’s just something that you’d post in your social media accounts, you could simply use the filters these platforms offer. Phone photography apps also allow you to tweak your photos. Keep in mind though that if you alter too much in your photo, it’s no longer representative of what you had originally wanted to share. A tip for these social media photos: capture high-resolution images and use these original files for uploading. You might be tempted to just download what you posted on one platform and upload it to another. That’s the reason why your photo might appear grainy. What you’ve downloaded has already been downsized so its quality is no longer optimal.

Please always remember that when you take photos of others, especially when traveling to other countries, and you are planning to post their photos on your website or social media accounts, get their permission. You are putting them on display for public consumption without their knowledge. Like you don’t want to encounter funny photos of yourself online, you should also give the same courtesy to others.

Your photos help you communicate what you want to tell your friends. Like when you’re vocally sharing your experience, you eliminate unnecessary details and make your stories as colorful and clear as you can.