3 Things You Should Not Do if You Want to Take Good Photos
Today I will give you three simple steps you should not take in case you want to take awesome photos.
If you’re a new photographer you possibly feel there is so much to learn and to know that you might easily get lost in the middle of such a big amount of content.
Chill!
Take it easy because in no time you will know all there is to know in order to take awesome photos! And just as important as knowing what to do to take good photos, is to know what you should not do if you want to take good photos.
Without further ado, the first thing you should not do if you want to take good photos is:
- Point and shoot.
What? Pris, you’re telling me I should not point and shoot?
Yes, that is exactly what I’m telling you. Of course that sometimes, if you’re shooting weddings or documentary photos, you might not have much time to think about your shot, you just have to point and shoot whatever important thing that is happening in front of you.
But if you’re shooting portraits, landscapes or even moments during an event where you have some time to think, please do so!
Think before shooting.
Take a look at your viewfinder and move your camera around to find the best angles.
See where you can find the best composition.
Look for leading lines, interesting backgrounds, colors, stuff to frame your subject, look for things that will give your photo more depth of field. All those things matter in the end it is what is going to make a difference between an average and an amazing shot.
Have you ever noticed how most people usually shoot their photos when they travel, for example?
They just get to the place, point their camera and shoot!
They don’t take the time to actually look for the best angles and composition. Sometimes all it takes to clean distractions and make a better photo is moving your camera angle a little bit. And that’s why so many travel pictures of your friends and relatives look boring when compared to the nice photos of that place you’ve seen on the internet!
Composition is key, so take your time to think through it.
I have an entire video where I talk about 8 composition tips that will help you to up your photo game, in case you feel you need to learn more about it.
The second thing you should not do if you want to take good photos is to:
2. Use on-camera flash.
Sorry, this is unacceptable.
If you have no light at all and all you can do to capture the moment is using your on-camera flash, then fine, go for it, but don’t expect to have a professional-looking image. You won’t. The light produced by on-camera flashes that are pointed straight to the subject is a very hard and artificial light that will make your photo look weird.
If you’re shooting in low light, take an external source of light with you and work on your settings to get the best out of your shot. A speedlight or a small led light that can be easily carried in your bag with you could be all it takes for you to make great photos.
You don’t need huge heavy light sets to make decent photos. All you need is a little light, some knowledge and creativity.
When you use a speedlight, even if you use it mounted to your camera, you can point it up or sideways in a way it won’t hit your subject directly. You can bounce the light off the wall or the ceiling and get great results. If you want to learn more about this, please click here.
If you choose to go for a small led light, you might need someone to hold it in a position where it will hit your subject beautifully. No big deal though. It is a very cheap and practical way of lighting your photos.
In case you want to learn more about low light photography, on this link I will show you some practical examples of how to shoot in low light situations, the equipment I use and how I use it in detail.
The third thing you should not do if you want to take good photos is to:
3. Shoot in auto mode.
And please, don’t get me wrong, many of the newer cameras have GREAT auto mode! They do amazing jobs in most of the situations.
But if you want to be able to shoot exactly what you have in mind, you definitely will need to learn the exposure triangle. Not only that, you will need to learn the exposure triangle and how to manage it in your camera.
You need to know what aperture does to your photos, you need to know what the shutter speed does to your photos and you also need to learn how the ISO affects them.
Auto mode can be a lifesaver if you don’t know what you’re doing and you need a quick shot, but your camera might not understand what you intend to do with a specific image and therefore, not be able to catch that specific something in that specific way you wanted. So if you want to be able to take amazing photos no matter what the situation is, this is definitely one of the first things you need to master in photography: the exposure triangle.
That is all for today, guys! I hope you liked this post and that it helps you to take better photos. If you like it, please consider checking out my YouTube channel also. You will help me very much by doing so! :D
Wish you all the best!
Thanks so much for reading me and… I will see you in the next post!
Tchau!
