This past Christmas, my present to myself was a new Nikon D-60 digital camera. For the past several years I've wanted to pick up photography as a new hobby, but just never did anything about it. Now that I have a pretty cool camera, I really have no more excuses. I just have to get out there and start taking some photos!
So, to help myself (and maybe you) take better photos this summer, here are 10 tips for better vacation photos (courtesy of The Society of American Travel Writers):
- Shoot early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Midday, the sun is overhead and light is flat.
- Get close, and then get closer. Fill the frame with your subject.
- Don't shoot every photo at eye level.
- Pay attention to details and distractions behind the heads of your subjects.
- Shoot lots of photos; edit and erase at night. (Don't you just love digital cameras!)
- Always show a sense of place as to where you are. (Photo above was taken on a trip to the Nashville Zoo.)
- Shoot subjects from different angles and vantage points and with different lenses and exposures. (Think I'll probably have to watch the DVD for this one...)
- Wait before you click. Wait for the clouds to clear or the truck to move away.
- Put people in your photos to give a sense of size and scale.
- Use fill-flash, even outdoors, to "fill-in" shadows.
Don't worry if you can't remember all of these tips. I plan on focusing on 2-3 of them until they become routine. Then I'll move on to some other tips. To me, that's the allure of photography. Trying new things and seeing how the photos turn out. Remember, it doesn't cost anything to delete the goofs!
What about you? Any photo tips you'd like to share with us?
Thanks for tips on capturing good images. Here's some I'd add:
*Every camera has a vertical setting. To use it, turn the camera 90 degrees...ha! This is normally the best way to get a shot of a person, unless you need to catch other details.
*If you've got a great shot you'll want to enlarge later, remember the camera captures images in 2-to-3 ration to make a 4x6 print. If you'll want an 8x10 enlargement, give yourself some extra margin, as the 2-to-3 ratio will enlarge to an 8x12, and some will be cropped with the 8x10.
*Take both color and black-and-white shots of images. You might be surprised with the color nuances of the B&W.
*If you'll want to add text to the print later, be sure to leave space when composing your shot.
*With people shots, you don't always have to include faces. Use your imagination!
*Try the "rule of thirds" - Place focal object off-center, about 1/3 of the distance from any edge of the frame.
*You gotta love candid shots, especially of kids!
Good stuff Ann. Thanks!