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Tips to Take Better Thanksgiving Food Photography
Mon, Nov 25, 24
How Can I Improve My Photography Skills?
Are you a professional photographer that’s gotten into a few bad habits when on your photoshoots? Maybe your interest in photography is just a fun hobby. No matter what your level of photography, knowing these essential photography skills will rid you of bad habits and improve your photography skills.
Take Control
Letting your camera do all of the work when focusing on your subject will produce sharp images under most conditions. As you look through the viewfinder on your camera from Beachcamera.com, you’ll see several focus points spread across the frame. Set your camera to its single-point autofocus mode instead of the automatic selection. On the Canon models, press the A point selection button and rotate the input dial. You’ll simply select single-point autofocus and use the four-way controller on the back of the camera to highlight a different AF point on most Nikon DSLRs. You’ll then manually focus the lens, or focus lock, press the shutter release halfway to lock the focus distance then shoot.
White Balance Correction
If you’ve gotten into the habit of not concerning yourself with white balance until post processing, it’s never too late to change that habit. If you get your white balance correct in-camera, you’ll be able to access the exposure and colors to achieve the best results. If you’re not sure about how to set your white balance, using the camera’s Automatic White Balance setting works well in most lighting conditions. If you’re shooting scenes with a single color or tone like the blue sky, you’ll get better results using one of the manual presets like Sunlight or Shade. If shooting a sunrise or sunset scene, try setting the white balance to Daylight or Cloudy to capture the colors.
Stop Relying on Auto Mode
If you rely solely on auto modes, you’ll never truly understand how photography works. If you take a great shot and want to replicate it at a later time, you won’t be able to do this with auto mode. If you shoot in manual mode, you’ll get consistent results every time. Once you learn how to shoot in manual mode, you’ll see drastic improvements in your photography.
Get a Nifty-Fifty
Carrying an affordable 50mm lens from Beachcamera.com around with you will help you develop a keen eye for composition. The image quality on this prime lens is superb. The fixed focal length will also force you to get creative with your composition because you’ll have to physically move your feet to focus.
Use a Polarizing Filter
When you learn how to use it correctly, a polarizing filter can help you greatly improve your photography. A polarizing filter will cut the glare you get when shooting images of water. Use a polarizing filter to saturate the colors of your landscape photography. Want to improve the skies in your photography? A polarizing filter will help you create deep, dramatic skies even under the brightest conditions.
Change Your Perspective
Instead of shooting at eye level, which is how we’re already use to seeing things, try changing it up a little. Shoot your subjects from a different perspective that isn’t normally seen. Experiment with different angles and try shooting from a variety of perspectives so you don’t end up with generic, eye level images.
You won’t improve your photography overnight. But if you practice with these essential tips, you’ll improve your photography over time.
Take Control
Letting your camera do all of the work when focusing on your subject will produce sharp images under most conditions. As you look through the viewfinder on your camera from Beachcamera.com, you’ll see several focus points spread across the frame. Set your camera to its single-point autofocus mode instead of the automatic selection. On the Canon models, press the A point selection button and rotate the input dial. You’ll simply select single-point autofocus and use the four-way controller on the back of the camera to highlight a different AF point on most Nikon DSLRs. You’ll then manually focus the lens, or focus lock, press the shutter release halfway to lock the focus distance then shoot.
White Balance Correction
If you’ve gotten into the habit of not concerning yourself with white balance until post processing, it’s never too late to change that habit. If you get your white balance correct in-camera, you’ll be able to access the exposure and colors to achieve the best results. If you’re not sure about how to set your white balance, using the camera’s Automatic White Balance setting works well in most lighting conditions. If you’re shooting scenes with a single color or tone like the blue sky, you’ll get better results using one of the manual presets like Sunlight or Shade. If shooting a sunrise or sunset scene, try setting the white balance to Daylight or Cloudy to capture the colors.
Stop Relying on Auto Mode
If you rely solely on auto modes, you’ll never truly understand how photography works. If you take a great shot and want to replicate it at a later time, you won’t be able to do this with auto mode. If you shoot in manual mode, you’ll get consistent results every time. Once you learn how to shoot in manual mode, you’ll see drastic improvements in your photography.
Get a Nifty-Fifty
Carrying an affordable 50mm lens from Beachcamera.com around with you will help you develop a keen eye for composition. The image quality on this prime lens is superb. The fixed focal length will also force you to get creative with your composition because you’ll have to physically move your feet to focus.
Use a Polarizing Filter
When you learn how to use it correctly, a polarizing filter can help you greatly improve your photography. A polarizing filter will cut the glare you get when shooting images of water. Use a polarizing filter to saturate the colors of your landscape photography. Want to improve the skies in your photography? A polarizing filter will help you create deep, dramatic skies even under the brightest conditions.
Change Your Perspective
Instead of shooting at eye level, which is how we’re already use to seeing things, try changing it up a little. Shoot your subjects from a different perspective that isn’t normally seen. Experiment with different angles and try shooting from a variety of perspectives so you don’t end up with generic, eye level images.
You won’t improve your photography overnight. But if you practice with these essential tips, you’ll improve your photography over time.
