We all love to look amazing! Many moments in our lives are influential to who we are as individuals. We document so much of our lives in pictures. Weddings, graduations, birthdays, and family reunions shape our memories and experiences in this world. What better than to capture those moments and immortalize them? With the array of photo editing programs at our fingertips, creating that perfect picture is easier than ever. Here are five tips to assist you in getting pictures so great, you would think they came from a stock gallery.
Be on eye level with your subject
Direct eye contact engages your subject. Being at eye level with a person will bring out the intimacy of genuine interaction. Those personal smiles and intimate gazes will be communicated in your photography when taken from a face to face perspective. Your subject doesn’t even need to look directly into the lens, the eye level angle will make your photo personal and inviting all by itself.
Use your flash outdoors
Most people assume that if they are in the sunshine that their photo will be well lit when exposed. The problem with that is shadows. When the angle of the light source is behind the subject, your subject can appear dark in the photo. You will want to use a fill flash option (if your camera offers that setting) in a sunny setting and a full flash option on a cloudy day to avoid creating dark shadows on your subject’s face.
Move away from the center
Simply moving the subject of your photo from the center to the left or right a bit will create a more natural view. We see most things at angles naturally. Centering your subject can cause your photo to feel too staged. Also, don’t forget to lock the focus on your camera, because most auto-focus features automatically focus on what is in the center of the lens.
Stop “chimping”
When using a digital camera, too often we find ourselves making one common mistake. We tend to find a beautiful moment in our lens, and then we pull back to see the digital screen. Refrain from doing that! When you pull away from your focus, you create an opportunity to miss that special moment. Never look away! You can look through your pictures later. Stay present in the view of the moment through your lens, and you won’t miss.
Hold your camera properly
It may not be common knowledge, but there is a right and a wrong way to hold your camera. To hold your camera correctly, you should first support your lens by cupping your left hand underneath it. Use your right hand to grip the body of the camera. Tuck your elbows into the side of your body for an even more stable stance. If you simply hold the camera on either side of its body, then you leave the lens unsupported. This could cause you to have a blurry photo.
Originally posted on May 17, 2015 @ 2:54 pm