Seven Photography Tricks I Wish I knew Earlier

Taking up photography as an interest can be a long and complicated journey. The truth is we never stop learning, but if we know what to learn at what time in our journey, then we can soak up the knowledge a lot faster. As that old saying goes (work smarter, not harder), I believe it can apply to everything we do. So here are seven things I wish I knew and understood at the beginning of my photography journey.

1) Light Is The Most Important Thing

When I first started photographing, I was immediately preoccupied with equipment, technical skills, and composition, all of which are critical components of photography. If you do not use light or see light as a tool, then equipment, technical skills, and composition alone will not give you what you are hoping to achieve.

2) Use The Equipment You Already Own

In the world of photography, there is new and better equipment coming out all the time. It is really easy as a beginner to get caught up in thinking that the better the equipment you have, the better the photograph you will take. This simply is not true, as you can spend a fortune on professional equipment and most of it is designed for really experienced photographers, so in reality, with this equipment, as a beginner, you will probably take worse photographs. Entry level cameras are made for a reason, and that’s where you should start. You wouldn't take your driving lessons in a Ferrari.

3) Use The Rules Of Composition

Use the basic rules of composition until you know them like the back of your hand and you completely understand them. Then and only then can you choose to break them for your art. You cannot and should not break a composition rule until you fully understand why it is a rule in the first place. These basic rules include the rule of thirds, leading lines, and framing your photograph properly.

4) Get Close To Your Subject

When taking a photo of your subject, whatever that may be. Alway’s consider what else is in the frame. Do you have too much empty space or too many distracting objects? Always walk closer and try to fill the frame with your subject. By filling the frame this will make the photograph much easier to understand and much more pleasing on the eye.

5) Take Photographs From Different Angles

As we all see the world from the same perspective, standing up as we humans do, then it is always more interesting to see the world from different angles. For example if everybody else takes a photograph of the London Eye and they are all standing up when they take it, and you come along and get down realy low to take the photo then yours will stand out.

6) Show How Big Or Small The Subject Is

Use something to show the scale in your photographs. This could be a person if you are photographing something really big, like the opening to a cave or a really big tree. If you add a person to this, the viewer can see straight away that the subject is big. On the other hand, if the subject is really small, you can use something that everybody knows the size of and this will create scale.

7) Keep Your Photographs

When you start your photography journey, you will not take photographs as well as you will a year or two years into your hobby, because the whole point of learning is to progress. You will also not be as good at post-processing as you will be one year or two years down the line. It is because of this that you should keep all of your photos. As you learn more about post processing, you will be able to do more with your old photographs, which is why you should never delete your old photos.

Conclusion

Remember to have fun! If you are stressed when doing photography, then you are doing it for the wrong reason. Photography is a form of art and, for some people, it is a way of escaping the hustle and bustle of life. When we are behind the lens, we are simply observers looking in on what is going on around us.