11 Tips for Taking Good Photos that Always Work for Me

A while ago I was reviewing the photos I took on my last trip. I must admit that I am somewhat irregular in taking photos, and whenever I consider the reason I come to the same conclusion: sometimes I do not pay all the attention that I should and I do not take the photos “with affection”.

When I review what I have done I realize the moments in which I took the photos, the mistakes I made in each one of them, and, above all, the reasons why, for my taste, some of the photos I take which are clearly better than other photos of mine.

For this reason, I wanted to reflect in this article on some tips that work for me and that will undoubtedly work for you to take better photos when you go out with your camera the next time. If you have two minutes I’ll tell you what they are.

 

1. Check Camera Settings

 

This, more than to make better photos, is not to make them worse or not to spoil them completely. And it happens to me frequently that I do not check how I have the camera settings, even from session to session.

Due to the shooting modes I work with, I usually have controlled the aperture of the diaphragm and the exposure time that I use in my photos, but there are other elements such as ISO, exposure compensation, or the light metering mode that, for not adjusting them in each photo, there are times that I forget to review them.

It is good that you apply the discipline of reviewing the camera controls to minimize the number of problems due to incorrect settings when taking photos.

 

2. Watch the Fund

When I take photos, many times I focus on the main element of the photo and forget to check if any unwanted element appears in the background of my photograph. I’m so focused on getting what I want that I forget everything else.

My brain isolates the main detail from the rest of the elements within the frame at the time of taking the photos, but when I review the work on the computer I realize the error: in many photos there appear elements that, far from being interesting, become annoying distractions that ruin work.

Therefore, it is good practice to check the background well beyond the center of interest of the photo to make sure that nothing comes out that should not appear in the photo.

 

3. Fill in the Frame

 

This is one of the main problems of those who start in photography. We want to get too many things in our photos, and in the end, we get so much that nothing is seen.

Many experts say that a photograph should have only one center of interest. If when looking at a photo you cannot clearly identify which is the center of interest, the photo is probably improvable.

Therefore, if you doubt whether or not to include something in a photo, most of the time it is best not to include it. And to do so, you can get closer to what you really want to photograph, either yourself or using the zoom.

 

4. Choose the Goal for the Occasion

 

If you have several lenses in your photographic equipment, you will probably have this problem sometime. The objectives, depending on their characteristics, are usually designed to cover a theme or a series of them.

There are lenses that are especially advisable for portraits, others for landscapes, others for macro … Each one has characteristics that make it very good for that subject but may not be so good for others, such as its focal length or aperture.

Although it does not have to be a fixed rule, if you use a lens for what it is designed, it will probably give you greater satisfaction.

 

5. Interesting Elements Can Make Your Photos Interesting

Surely it has happened to you many times that you go with your camera and there is nothing that encourages you to take a photo and others in which you suddenly see something and you would like to take your camera with you to be able to portray it.

Without a doubt, there are situations and elements that deserve to be photographed. Over time you will know how to recognize and photograph them. And they are sure to become powerful attraction magnets in your photos.

 

6. Understand the Light

 

 

Everything in photography is light. The size of the light source, its angle, how it affects the scene, are elements that completely determine the final appearance of your photo.

Have you ever tried taking photos in the same location and have you seen how the result varies depending on the time of day or the weather?

The same outdoor setting at different times of the day can acquire completely different aspects and some be much more interesting than others, and the same happens with artificial lighting. Understanding the basic principles of light will help you better choose the moment to take the best photos.

 

7. Get a Feeling of Depth

 

 

We live in a three-dimensional world that we reduce to two dimensions the moment we take a photo.

But we have elements that can help us transfer that feeling of depth in our photos and give you back the information of that third dimension.

The perspective, the use of elements in the foreground, and the lines within our composition are very helpful elements when it comes to achieving that feeling of depth.

 

8. Test Different Points of View

 

 

We are used to taking photos always in the same position: standing, with the camera pointing forward, forming a plane parallel to the ground, as we see the world.

Have you ever stopped trying to change your point of view? Taking photos looking up or down, from high points or from the ground, can give a new perspective to your photos more interesting than from the conventional position.

 

9. Try Different Locations

 

There are times when you arrive at a place or see something you want to photograph and without further ado, you prepare your camera and start taking photos. There is nothing wrong with it, but you may be giving yourself better frames by not analyzing the scene and your surroundings.

Many times what I do when I get to a place that I want to photograph is to go around looking for different locations to see from which of them I have a better vision of what I want to portray in my photos.

 

10. Take care of the composition

 

 

The composition is that set of practices and rules that make a picture work and another not. It may seem magical, but since time immemorial they have been applied in other disciplines of art. They just work.

If you’ve never been interested in photographic composition, this is a good time to do it. You will discover the existence of basic rules that you can also skip and that will undoubtedly help you improve your photos.

 

11. Tell a Story

 

 

Do the exercise of looking at the front page of a newspaper and look at the main photo. Is it suitable for the accompanying news? Does it transmit information to you?

When you take a photo you have the opportunity to tell a story with it. Think about what it represents, think about its most notable characteristics, and how you can enhance them in your photograph to underline the message.