Taking Great Pictures with a Digital Camera

Two years ago, my dad gave me his old Canon digital SLR camera. At the time I knew nothing about photography. (The only thing I ever owned was a disposable camera!) Most of everything I have learned has been through trial and error and reading and watching lessons online. I don’t have the patience to take the time to read manuals, so video lessons and blog posts have been really helpful to me. Here are five great resources and tips I have learned about the art of photography:

1. Expensive Cameras Are Not Necessary

The camera my dad gave me is over 10 years old. That’s about 100 years old when you are talking digital time. Yet with the right lenses and techniques, I am still able to take great pictures. No one would ever guess that I am taking pictures with an obsolete camera. Many point-and-shoot cameras are affordable and can take great pictures as well. Here is a great lesson on taking pictures with any digital camera:

2. Importance of Depth of Field

When you see amazing portraits of people where their face is in focus but the background is very soft, the photographer took a picture with a shallow depth of field. This is the number one way to make a subject pop out in the scene.

Learn how to use a shallow depth of field here:

3. Understanding Composition

When you see an interesting photograph, 9 out of 10 times the subject is placed off-center in the photograph. Many amateur photographers see a person and shoot them  perfectly in the middle of the frame. This is boring to the eye; the eye likes variety. Always think about shooting from above and below as well as straight on.

4. Edit and Store Photographs

After you take the picture, your job is not over. You have to get the images off the camera, store them, and make them look beautiful for print or for the web. This can be tedious and time consuming but will be worth it in the end. Make sure you purchase an external hard drive and backup all of your photographs. Make sure you label each photograph so you will be able to find it 6 months from now. Sometimes your photographs just need a little tweaking in post production to make them look 100% better. There are many photo editing programs that are free. Here is a guide for editing and storing photographs:

5.  Always Be Prepared

You never know when you will witness something great so always carry your camera on you, especially if you are traveling or going to an event. Almost all of my favorite photographs were unplanned. You can see the spontaneity in the photograph as well.

Learn how to take better travel and action shots here:

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