Photography Basics

You can’t learn everything about photography in one article, but this article will get you on the right path with 5 tips on the basics you should know. Do you have a point and shoot camera and rely on preset modes? Are you confused by your new professional SLR camera? Once you grasp the basics you will have the enjoyment and satisfaction of taking extraordinary pictures. Here are five important and easy to use tips that you can start using right now.

Resolve to Have Enough Resolution

While a low resolution setting saves space on your memory card, it isn’t suitable for quality prints. Resizing for a smaller picture is fairly easy, even in free programs like Picasa ("resize" is hidden there under "export"), but enlarging a picture usually brings terrible results. When you enlarge the photo, the pixels that make up the picture are spread thinner.

Choose medium or high resolution if you plan to print your pictures. 3 mega pixels (depending on your camera) should give you high quality 4x6 images and sometimes even a very nice 8x10. 6 mega pixels will give superb results for 11x14s.

Use the Right Kind of Light – Natural Lighting is Usually Best

But, you needn’t worry if you don't have a fancy flash and reflectors. If your only flash is the built-in one, that's all the more reason to opt for natural light. A built-in flash can make subjects look flat, and that is why the pros use external flash and bounce light off the umbrellas. There are tricks you can use to get good lighting. To bounce the light off the ceiling you can wear a white shirt or tape foil to the camera. But, the easiest way to get professional quality photos without the equipment is to go outdoors.

There are some considerations when shooting outdoors. The lower the sun in the sky the better, except for sunrise and dawn. The harshest shadows happen at noon. Bright overcast produces the best light. Unless the sky is an important part of your picture, look for bright overcast skies.

Compose a Perfect Picture

If you don’t know how to compose a picture, getting a great snapshot will probably depend on luck. Take creative, and artistic, control of your shots by learning how to compose a picture. What your mind imagines and your eye sees can be captured in your composed pictures

Several articles could be written on the subject of composition, but the number one thing to remember is fill the frame. Once you decide the most important subject in your photo move close enough or zoom (optical zoom is best) to fill the viewfinder with the subject. For example, if the subject is your mother cutting roses, she is the subject not her entire yard. Don’t lose your subjects in the landscape.

Steady Now

It takes very little movement of your camera to create blur. In fact, you may not even notice you moved until you see the blurry results. To create sharp photos keep your elbows down, feet apart and hold your camera steady while pressing the shutter release. Be sure to hold still until the light indicates the camera has finished taking the picture. When you are taking a picture that requires a slower than usual shutter speed – fireworks for example – support the camera with a tripod. If you don’t have a tripod, you can use a bunched up coat on a wall with a remote shutter release. A good rule of thumb: for shutter speeds slower than 1/60 use camera support.

Share your Creations

If your photos are digital, you can use a photo editor to create copies (save originals) that you can downsize for a photo album, e-mail, a website or a photo frame. Use the correct photo-printing paper for your printer model. If you are using a film camera and want to share your photos, use a quality scanner or request a CD when you have your film developed.

It is fun to frame your photographic work. Share your best photographs by hanging on a wall or displaying on a table. If you are trying to come up with a great gift for a friend or loved one, what better gift than a photograph you have taken and nicely framed. There are endless subject possibilities that would make an appreciated gift. For example, a portrait of your friend, their family, their beloved pet or capture the beauty of nature in a favorite setting.

Start now with these five basic tips to help expand your knowledge of photography. You will soon reap the benefits of these tips by taking better and more professional looking pictures.