I compiled a series of tips that I normally offer during my classes, I tried to put it all together so you can come to this page and take advantage of some basic tips that will make your life as a photographer easier. I will keep adding and sorting them up on a continuous basis.
· Get out and walk around
· Get and idea of the time of day, the angles, he points of view, all this things I factor into making the photographs.
· Relay in local knowledge, ask shop owners about the best points of view in the area in order to get an idea on how to approach this area.
· Use postcards as a reference as they will give you an excellent idea of what is in a particular area, places or views that local talented photographers selected in terms of cherry picking the weather, time of the day, and best positions and already invested time in great research.
· Look for elements that instantly connect with the viewer, bold color, graphic design, ways in you can present the image dynamically,
· Use interesting fore, mid and background, look how elements work together to tell an interesting story.
· Look for a converging lines, leading lines and always look for the light in it's most dramatic way. Sunsets, silhouettes, and the beautiful light of twilight, which is the photographer's best friend, no matter if it is an overacted or sunny day.
· For street photography, P mode is a great way to shoot, as the camera will determine very fast the aperture and shutter speed for any given situation, so you do not miss shots.
· Take advantage of bracketing, it will give more exposures to choose from, as many times what you thought initially could be more dramatic if it is a bit over or under exposed. Sometimes half a stop under could give what you want, rather than the correct exposure selected by the camera.
· Use close ups in order to isolate subjects or elements and produce great impact by using a wide aperture blurring the background.
· Use Active D lighting (Nikon), so areas dark or light areas will be more dynamic in term of contrast as digital sensors cannot see pure whites to pure blacks, so opening up that contrast is rely important. Active D lighting does a lot of what fill boards or fill flash does for us.
· Auto ISO is a great feature too when using P mode, as it will adjust automatically the ISO according to the best possible exposure. But remember that P mode is for situations when you need fast response and will not let you control the camera in all aspects as the manual mode.
· Picture styles will give great results too, play with the different presets and learn the differences between them. If you like more vivid o monochromatic shots, or maybe you do not want a portrait that sharp.
· Use Live View and scroll through the different white balances; it will show you the difference for the same situation right away. Kind of bracketing but with white balance, it will help you make a decision right in the spot.
· Landscapes are an important part of travel photography because they gives you a sense of place, and unlike street photography where things are going to be constantly changing; the landscapes are going to be the same, but the conditions that we photograph them under are going to be different. So you need to plan for the best sunset, a great sunrise or even twilight, so use all these factors and plan on how to do your best shot.
·
Look into the viewfinder, not through the viewfinder; use it as a
frame and check if your subject is well positioned, straight, does not have
branches growing from his/her head.
·
Make sure people aren’t smiling. Otherwise you end up with a snapshot.
Move in closer when you’re taking people shots.
·
Find the right environment – by which I mean the right environment for
that person.
·
Then make sure people aren’t smiling again. This is the biggest error in
portraits taken by amateurs.
·
For candid shots just keep persevering. Your luck will come in the end.
·
You should never think that the camera is the most important thing. You
need to simply find a camera that you enjoy using and stick to that. You should
just use the camera as a tool.
·
You need to think about light all the time. Photography is about light,
and it can come from any source – the sun, a candle, a computer.
·
Try to engage with the subject. You have to like people to do your job.
You need to look outside of the lens, get the relationship going, and only then
take the photograph.
·
You can’t rush nature photography and you really have to watch your
subject for a long time in order to understand its behavior.
·
You need to know when it’s the perfect time to take the shot. I try to
use only natural light and avoid heavy digital enhancement.
·
Spend time studying the species and habitat you’re shooting. Try to
visualize how you’re going to take the shot before you do so.
·
Never disturb the animal or its habitat to get the shot.
·
Be engaged with your subject, but at the same time be considerate – you
are the guest.
·
Think about combining the composition of the shot with the context of
where you’re taking it. The two shouldn’t be separated.
·
For my kind of work, I try to use natural light wherever possible. It’s
more natural!
·
Ask permission to get in close. It’s much better than trying to shoot
people farther away.
·
Pre-empt the action. Even the fastest SLRs will have a delay.
·
Never forget about composition. The background is crucial
·
Make sure the subject is big enough in the frame and think about what
the subject will do next.
·
When shooting sports, you must have the right lens on a camera at the
right time – there’s no time to change lenses.
·
Learn how to shoot in RAW. You won’t get the most from your photography
if you only shoot JPEGs.
·
Always make people feel like it’s their photo, not yours. There’s
nothing worse than a pushy photographer.
·
If you can see something odd in camera, then adjust it at the time
you’re taking the shot. In my view it’s better than relying on using Photoshop
later.
·
Have a camera with you at all times. You never know when something is
going to happen.
·
Wear suitable shoes. If you’re walking around for a long time, you need something
comfortable.
·
Be patient and optimistic. Give things as much time as you can and never
lose hope that a great picture is just around the corner.
·
Don’t forget to smile at people when you’re photographing them. It makes
you less threatening.
·
Respect your subject and try to be sensitive to their wishes.
·
Know the law where you’re
shooting, and how it will affect you taking photos.
·
Take note: it’s very hard to make a good living out of serious news
photography. Be persistent and be prepared to be quite broke too!
·
Learn about light – study great images and see how they were made.
·
Go to a museum and learn about pictures – who made them, and which ones
you like and why; use them as inspiration for your shots.
·
Don’t forget other settings too. Is your card formatted? Have you got
the right image size
·
Always check your position – it’s not directly under the singer. Try
stage left or stage right. It’s the same when shooting in the studio. Stand on
a chair, lie on the floor – don’t get anchored to the spot.
·
Help your subject by finding out a little about them and having some
conversation starters. Or bring along a prop – they might grab it and make a
great shot!
·
Be prepared and know your gear. Also, time permitting; don’t be afraid
to try a new lighting set-up during the shoot.
·
Keep the set-up simple and start with one light. If that looks good,
shoot it.
·
Don’t be afraid to go in tight with a wide-angle lens.
·
Try shooting with a tripod – it’s easier to talk to your subject when
you’re not holding a camera.
·
Make time to develop your skills – try to get a job that still gives you
time for your photography and doesn’t stress you out! With faith and
self-belief you can achieve your goals.
·
While it helps to have the cash to travel to great locations, you must
be dedicated and work hard.
·
Know the craft of photography like a professional.
·
Find your niche, whether it’s a specific location, specific species or
certain style.
·
Know your subjects well. The best wildlife photographers are also the
best naturalists.
·
Be business-like – marketing is the other half of the story. Or hire
someone to do the hustling!
·
Know your kit – you don’t want to be sitting there trying to figure out
how your camera works just as the drivers roar past.
·
Choose subjects you’re passionate about. I decided I wanted to shoot
motor sports when I was a teenager.
·
Don’t be afraid to experiment in order to stand out from the crowd. Your
work has to stand out.
·
Try to look at each shoot from a lateral perspective.
·
Follow your passion. You’ll do best shooting what you love, and I see
this with my students.
·
Learn from your mistakes. Apply what you have learned, go back to a
place and get it right.
·
If an image still isn’t working, really think about why this is
happening. Retaking the shot in different circumstances could work.
·
Never stop learning about the endless subtleties of light.
·
Don’t follow trends or copy other people’s work.
·
Focus on the image and the emotion, and focus less on digital trickery.
·
Think about creating images that look fantastic straight out of the
camera, without relying on post-processing Photoshop enhancements.
·
Concentrate on your unique vision and learn to listen to yourself.
·
Finally, shoot what you love. Then keep shooting, keep shooting and keep
shooting.
·
By tightly framing the subject the intent of the image comes through
strong and clear.
·
Always look for color and how best to capture it.
·
Allow enough time for wildlife subjects to relax to your presence and
react with their surroundings and/or other animals in a natural way.
·
Choose your times – photograph at first and last light.
·
Mistakes do not necessarily mean failures… they’re a key part of
learning so don’t be discouraged when things don’t work first time.
·
Always test your gear before a shoot and have a backup for when
something goes wrong.
·
Try to travel light. This will encourage you to always take a camera out
and about with you..
·
For photographing animals, ask yourself what you want to achieve. What’s
your vision? Then you’ll find your craft.
·
Use a manually pre-set exposure to capture flying birds. Auto exposure
systems can be fooled as birds pass across different backgrounds – from
bright sky to dark forest, for instance.
·
Don’t overlook the small details – look for a change in a bird’s
expression to lift a shot.
·
Don’t forget the non-photographic essentials. Sometimes I take
binoculars, an easy-to-carry tent hide and an iPod loaded with sounds of
specific birds, in order to attract them.
·
Try to find a really beautiful garden near to you that you can get to
know really well. That way you can return when the weather and lighting
conditions are at their best.
·
Learn to shoot against the light because this will give you the most
atmospheric shots.
·
Look at the way that great photographers shoot flowers. Study the work
of people such as Karl Blossfeldt, Ron Van Dongen, Jerry Harpur and Andrew
Lawson, and try and gain some inspiration from their work.
·
Pay attention to the background, and get up early in order to get the
best possible light.
·
You have to persevere and take lots of images. I take about 50 images
and save about a dozen.
·
You have to be prepared to put the work in. There are no easy short cuts
in pro photography.
·
For me, it’s all about thinking about the final landscape image. You
have to carefully plan how you’re going to work with the light and consider the
angle you’re going to approach the scene from.
·
You have to be prepared to climb around a scene to get the best possible
composition, and this can be hard work. My back hurts, my feet hurt…
·
Getting an interesting foreground is crucial but you also need to stay
free and creative – otherwise your shots will all look the same and your work
will lack any kind of identity. And don’t focus so much on the foreground that
you forget the landscape around you!
·
Follow your obsessions and take chances. I wasn’t inhibited by the
thought of anyone else’s photography.
·
With digital pictures, do a lot of cropping until you have stuff you
really like. This will sharpen your eye and eventually you’ll get it in the
camera. People tend to look at the subject matter, grab that and forget about
the dynamics of composition.
·
Pursue your muse, be it rock stars or lizards.
·
Practice over theory – I believe strongly that you should just grab a
camera, get used to how it works, take lots of photographs and then go to the
photography classes and read the books.
·
Be bold, especially with digital, as it doesn’t cost you anything to
take lots of shots.
·
Do your homework – the more you know about your subject, the better
you’ll be able to photograph it. And I don’t just mean reading books. Watching
animals and learning to read their behavior and anticipating what they’ll do
next can make a huge difference in getting the shot of a decisive moment.
·
Put in the time – get out there and put your time in the field.
The only way to guarantee that you won’t get any pictures is to be sitting at
home.
·
Practice – shooting birds in flight, for example, even with autofocus,
is an acquired skill. Find something to practice on, like gulls at a pier, and
hone your reflexes.
·
Get up ridiculously early to catch the best light.
·
Whenever humanly possible use a tripod – not just for stability but also
to aid composition.
·
When taking plant portraits – be sure to look carefully at the subject
first from all angles.
·
At the end of the day when you’re tired and you think you’ve finished
shooting and the last glimmer of light pops up, just grit your teeth, unpack
and shoot. Often this is when the best pictures happen!
·
Look at thousands of pictures of your area of specialty, and get to know
your camera inside out.
·
Try to develop a personal style to make your work stand out. Chip Simons
went as far as using yellow flash and fish-eye lenses, but every great pro has
a unique style.
·
Don’t sell yourself short – make sure you get paid the going rate for a
good shot, and don’t waste time with stock libraries.
·
When shooting travel, you can’t go back to the scene and expect it to be
the same. Things will change, the light or whatever. So seize the moment, stop
and make the effort to get the shot. In other words, don’t procrastinate!
·
You have to fully explore your subject – walk around it, literally and
figuratively. To be a creative photographer you need to shoot at different
times, in different light – experiment.
·
You have to get used to walking. I get up really early and just
walk and walk. It’s amazing the shots you get if you make the effort and are
inquisitive.
·
Photography is a craft and you have to work at it to get better. There
are no shortcuts.
·
Always shoot from the heart – photography’s like painting or composing
music.
·
Learn from others; find your own voice. There’s a lot in photography
that’s yet to be discovered.
·
Respect the animal’s territory – unless you want to be attacked or just
end up with lots of shots of the animal’s rear!
·
Do your research. There’s no point going to shoot a particular type of
animal behavior if it’s the wrong season for it.
·
Take plenty of memory cards. You don’t want to run out of storage in the
middle of the action.
·
Find photographic topics you feel truly passionate about.
·
Put in the time, even if there’s no assignment. Profound photographic
work only comes with time.
·
Get out of bed early so you get the wonderful early light.
·
Move around a lot – don’t be afraid of trying new ways of seeing.
·
Talk to a lot of people, all of the time.
·
Don’t be afraid to experiment. On digital SLRs, the
flash/autofocus features are so much better – Nikon SLRs are amazing and have
never failed me in the field even at low temperatures, so you’ve got nothing to
lose by trying new things.
·
Be disciplined about workflow and post production, even though the
latter can drive you out of your goddamn mind when you have to do it at night
after shooting all day!
·
Don’t stress! Keep a sense of humor, and remember how lucky you are.
Clients appreciate it, and word of arrogance and obnoxiousness soon gets
around.
·
Show your portfolio to as many people as possible and persevere.
·
Always keep your copyright!
·
Take a back up camera and memory cards. And never rely on your hard
drive…
·
Be an author of your own work, not merely an illustrator of other
people’s ideas.
·
Do your research and become a mini-expert on your chosen subject.
·
Seek out mentors whose opinions you trust and have them regularly edit
and critique your work.
·
Be patient.
·
Study photographers from a range of disciplines. There’s a lot to learn
and labels are silly and limiting.
·
Shoot constantly. Make sure you really love.
·
Care about your subjects and treat them, as you would want to be treated
yourself.
·
Be modest and open-minded.
·
Don’t use the camera as a filter. Be mindful and sensitive of the
situation you’re in.
·
Use a prime or fixed lens that best meets your needs. Leave your zoom at
home… your lens must be your own eye.
·
Let yourself be inspired by your favorite photographers.
·
Work in all directions at the beginning until you find your own style,
your own way of shooting.
·
Avoid backlight, as cheaper digital cameras still don’t handle this
well.
·
Avoid patchy light as extremes are not handled well by the camera’s
sensor and you’ll end up with hotspots with no details.
·
Shoot when the sun’s at an angle and has color – that is, rising or
falling (from sunrise to about 10am and again from about 3pm to sundown).
Shooting in the middle of the day gives your subjects deep shadows under their
eyes and there’s little or no color in the daylight.
·
Shoot in open shade as much as possible during high noon.
·
Shoot in great light. Any photo will look better in it.
·
Know your equipment. There’s nothing more frustrating than not knowing
how to capture something that’s right in front of you because you’re fumbling
with your gear.
·
Stay organized. In the digital age, you’ll lose images if your workflow
isn’t ironclad.
·
Back up, back up, back up.
·
Don’t shoot junk figuring you can delete it. This wastes time. Is the
picture interesting? Is it composed cleanly? Would you nudge the person next to
you to take a look? A good picture is a good picture, no matter the medium.
·
Always shoot RAW. Convert your RAW files into the largest files appropriate
(TIFF, not JPEG), in order to ensure that you have the best foundations for
post-production work.
·
Always save your original (RAW) files, especially of your best images
that you’ve gone on to process. Get a couple of hard drives to back them up to
at least two places.
·
When you’ve spent time processing an image, compare it to the original –
a lot of your processing may have been unnecessary.
·
Get the balance right between confidence and modesty. Get different
opinions, but don’t feel dismayed – you can’t please everyone anyway.
·
Move forward – whatever distance you’re shooting from, halve it.
·
Pay attention to what falls on the four edges of the frame. Crop in
camera. Make sure you’re not including (or excluding) anything you didn’t pay
attention to before you click the shutter.
·
Try not to center all your images. Consider other places in the frame to
place your subject.
·
Pay attention to what’s behind your subject and make sure what’s there
doesn’t detract from the image.
·
Be open to the flow of things on a photo shoot and be open to what life
can bring to you. If you get moved on and asked to shoot in a different place,
try to turn it to your advantage.
·
Get comfortable with your equipment; you have to get to know your camera
so it fits you like a shoe. But don’t get hung up on the technical
specifications – it’s the person shooting that matters.
·
Know your own kit. Understanding the technical side of your camera gives
you creative freedom.
·
Keep it simple: don’t ruin the flow by overcomplicating things.
·
Try to get it right in camera and not later on your computer.
Photoshop’s great for experimentation but it’s no substitute for poor lighting
or a lack of technical knowledge.
·
Shoot what you see and what you feel. And what you know – it doesn’t
have to be models, but if you take shots of what you know and are passionate
about, your work will stand out.
·
Preparation really is key – know where you are shooting and check out
the venue first, as it will save time on the day.
·
Walk, walk and walk.
·
Think about your compositions as a painter would a canvas. Would I paint
a picture this way? I call this ‘Big Picture Thinking’.
·
Remember that shooting with fill flash can create quite cold, harsh
light. I often put a color temperature gel over the flash to warm things up.
·
Travel photographers shouldn’t hide with a telephoto lens. Get close up
and engage with your subject.
·
Shoot a lot in low light? Consider using fixed fast lenses rather than
cheaper zoom lenses.
·
Remember depth of field. Use the LCD to help with this, or the Depth of
Field preview. Think carefully about the best aperture setting for a shot.
·
The most important question to ask yourself is: what is a good image? If
you can’t come up with any other answer apart from because people have told you
what is good, go back to the start and do your own research.
·
Don’t just copy what you see, try to find your own approach. This is a
real challenge in today’s flood of images.
·
Get to know art and the history of photography, so you don’t have to
keep reinventing the wheel.
·
Find a subject that interests you and go into it deep. Find what has
been done before, and do something different. Some people expect to be a
world-class photographer after just practicing a year or two. This is
impossible. You have to put in the time to find your own style.
·
Master the local light – really go out and figure out the best time to
shoot, wherever you are.
·
Be patient – you’ve got to be prepared to keep going back to scout out a
subject or location.
·
Get to know the subjects.
·
Have a viewpoint, and know why you are there.
·
Tread as lightly as possible and be respectful of your subject. It’s not
about you, it’s about them.
·
Be sincere, in terms of photography and editing. Think about what you
want to communicate, how you can do it justice.
·
Be playful – try to be like a child again. Try new ways of shooting and
grow through your mistakes.
·
Learn to use your camera’s manual controls. Don’t rely on what the
camera can do for you.
·
Don’t trust your camera’s flash, rather, be its master. Nikon has
amazing flash systems, but it’s up to you to be creative with them.
·
If you want to make composite images, think how it will work beforehand.
You have to pre visualize the final image, rather than just taking lots of
shots and hoping for the best.
·
You also have to create the environment for something to happen. So
study the light, the best spots to get the shots and so on – you have to be
spontaneous, but lay the groundwork for composites, too.
·
Spend lots of time in a place. Immerse yourself in it – it might cost
more to stay longer, but you’ll end up with the interesting shots.
·
Get up early and stay out late to get the best light. Mid-day shots are
nearly always rubbish.
·
I take a lot of shots at 24mm and 35mm so, in order to fill the frame I
have to get in there and engage with what I’m shooting.
·
Communicate with people, even if you can’t speak the language. Show them
shots on the LCD, do anything to get them on your side.
·
Don’t just fire off some frames and walk off. You often get the best
shots of people by hanging around – after about 5 minutes; they forget
you’re there.
·
Be self-confident and don’t wait for permission from other people – I
wish I’d realized this when I was 20.
·
Get to know a subject you’re passionate about before you try to
photograph it.
·
Learn as much as you can about light.
·
Learn from the master nature photographers of the past.
·
Don’t be afraid of interpreting reality according to your personal
style.
·
Don’t become a slave to your equipment – a good shot can be taken even
with a cheap compact.
·
Understand that the photo isn’t an end to itself but a means to
understand the world around us.
·
Shoot what you really like, as your passion for the subject will shine
through.
·
Look behind you when you’re out shooting, too.
·
Study lighting and shooting angles until you’re an expert.
