How To Be a Perfect Photographer: A Complete Guide


By Arindam Roy

The thought of being a photographer may sound daunting at first. To some, it may seem like there is so much to learn and that most people are destined to fail in their pursuit of photography. But this sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth!

 

Photography isn’t as hard as it’s made out to be, and anyone can become a better photographer with enough dedication. In this article I’ll go over many skills that can help you take amazing pictures. It doesn’t matter if you’re using your phone or an expensive DSLR camera; with enough practice any one of these tips can help improve your photography skills drastically.

 

Decide on a proven photography workflow

 

Creating a photography workflow is probably the most important thing that you can do to help your pictures come out looking great. A productivity workflow for photographers will make sure that every photo you take gets saved and tagged correctly, as well as giving you an easy way to access all of your pictures in one convenient location.

 

This saves time and energy, allowing you to focus on taking pictures instead of slaving over your computer trying to get them together in an easily accessible place. The good news is that there are many free and paid apps out there to help you create a workflow, or you can just work with whatever tools you’re currently using. Your workflow doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should always be in a place where you can find it easily and do everything effortlessly.

Also read: Detailed Comparison & Difference between DSLR and Digital Camera

Take more pictures!

 

More photos mean a larger library of images with which to work. With such a large range of photos in your arsenal you can edit your pictures more quickly and with more flexibility. This means that you can always go back to old pictures should a current photo require elements from a previous one. Creating these editing libraries helps to speed up the editing process, and saves time in the end. When you’ve taken thousands of photos, it’s easy to pull one out and apply it to your current photo without having to worry about spending countless hours locating the image and manually adding it into the current project.

 

Use the camera grid feature

 

This may seem simple, but a simple trick can go a long way in improving your pictures. Make sure that your camera has a grid on display so that you can see where to focus. You should be able to turn this setting on or off at will, allowing you to turn it off when you need to take landscape pictures and then turn it back on when taking portraits or any other subject matter.

Read more: Compact Camera vs DSLR Camera: Detailed Comparison

Use a tripod

 

Using a tripod is probably the easiest way to ensure that your pictures come out looking great every time. Having steady hands is one thing, but if your equipment isn’t steady then your entire photo could be ruined by blurriness or a shaky composition.

 

In order to get the best outcome possible from your pictures you should always rely on a tripod. The only exception to this rule is when you’re taking photos of subjects that are moving quickly, such as children or animals. In these cases using a tripod could result in completely still pictures with no elements of motion or life. But for most other cases using a tripod will be your best bet for getting pictures that turn out crisp and clear every time.

How to be a Perfect Photographer

Shoot in RAW mode whenever possible

 

It may seem like shooting in RAW mode is the same as shooting in JPEG, but it really isn’t. Shoot in RAW mode when you can because your images will look much better this way. This is especially true if you’re shooting on a lower quality camera, which may not be able to produce the same quality as high-end cameras.

 

As long as your camera has RAW mode you should be able to edit and work with your images easily, whether they’re in JPEG or RAW form. Editing images without a lot of thought is easy when you have the RAW file to work with, allowing you to tweak and reduce noise and other elements all while preserving a full range of tonal values. Even though it’s slightly more time consuming than just using JPEG, I personally prefer working this way because it gives me more control over the results than JPEG offers.

Relevant reading: How To Use a DSLR Camera On Manual Mode

Use aperture and shutter speed to your advantage

 

Using the controls on your camera can give you more control over how your pictures turn out. You don’t have to take them as perfectly composed photographs, but you should still know when to use high shutter speed or the correct aperture for the ideal exposure. Once you have a good understanding of this, it becomes easier for you to get clear shots every time, even if something unexpected happens with other elements in the picture (think animal stepping in front of dead grass).

 

Shoot in creative light

 

The best pictures are taken at times that coincide with great natural lighting conditions. Outside, early in the morning and late in the evening are perfect times to take pictures that will really come out ok. This isn’t something that you have to manage, but it is something you can get used to. Just make sure that you are aware of lighting conditions before you start taking pictures so that your pictures don’t turn out like a bad advertisement for your brand or product!

 

Shoot at different angles with multiple lenses

 

If you’re shooting from one angle all the time then you may be missing all sorts of great shots because your pictures aren’t getting the great composition from multiple angles. Think about shooting from different perspectives each time you take a picture, then just go back and see which one worked the best.

Related article: Guide to Capture Photographs of a Misty Scene

Use natural lighting to your advantage

 

Even if you are shooting in the middle of nowhere, there’s still a chance that you could have an incredible light source on display. This means that you don’t always have to be inside on nice days, but it also has the risk of being just as good inside as it would be outside. Always keep this in mind and try not to spend a lot of time inside under bad conditions unless absolutely necessary.

Shoot close up and macro pictures

 

You can go way nuts on taking macro pictures at different distances, but shooting close up can also be fun and give you plenty of options for framed pictures that are unique in their own right. You can also get some great textures out of these shots, which is a great way to get more out of your pictures when you’re running low on ideas.

You may also like: Detailed Guide to Photograph Forest and Trees

Use a tripod for long exposure shots and still scenes

 

If you’re looking for a shot with less noise and less trouble then using a tripod can be the best choice for the task. It allows you to take pictures that are otherwise too blurred or too bright by taking them under steady conditions, while adding more detail to the picture that would otherwise be lost if you had used something like a high shutter speed instead.

 

Try to capture the emotion behind a shot

 

This might sound crazy, but if you’re not trying to capture emotion or action then there’s a chance that you’re missing out on the best shots that you could take. You can’t control this, so there’s nothing else to do but make sure that you are aware of it going in and try to get the best emotional shots that you can when trying to study pictures.

 

Shoot from different directions

 

You can’t always shoot from one direction and expect great results every time, so try using different angles every time! This is really easy for people who shoot video footage, but it could also be something that makes your photography better than it would be otherwise. You can bring in a lot of added depth and dimension into pictures, which is also something that most people try to ignore when they’re shooting.

Read here: A Detailed Guide to Set up a DSLR Camera

Try to capture unique moments

 

If you’re shooting pictures from your own life you have the opportunity to get some great shots that aren’t necessarily related to anything else or that you can even upload into a social media account. This means that if you choose not to share them then no one has any way of knowing what they are, or what makes them unique. Shooting unique moments can help you get through difficult times and find more joy in your life when nothing else will do.

 

Don’t shoot with a smartphone

 

Use something else besides your smartphone if you know that you’re going to be shooting pictures for an entire evening or whatever it might be. Smartphones are great, but they don’t have the image quality that you’ll get from a real camera or even some of the new smartphones that are really incredible nowadays. If you want to take amazing photos then it’s time to go out and get something better than what you’re already using.

 

FaceTime

 

If you’ve already got a smartphone then there’s a good chance that you’re already using the FaceTime app. It’s one of the best applications that you can use on your iPhone or iPad and it allows you to talk with people on another Apple device over Wi-Fi. It’s also great for video calling and you can even see your friend or loved one face on their phone so that it looks like they’re standing right in front of you. There are times when this is really useful, especially if your family and friends live far away from each other, but think about how much money that it would cost if you had to constantly call them in order to talk then Skype them at a higher connection speed. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on FaceTime than just use a free texting and calling app instead.

You may also like: Top DSLR Cameras To Buy Under Rs 50,000

Social media is great for sharing pictures online

If you’re looking to get the word out on your photos then social media sites are great for that, and it doesn’t matter which one you choose to go with. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and many more are all great ways to share your photos with the world while getting some feedback at the same time. This is a really cheap way to get the word out about your photography and it’s definitely worth trying out in order to improve your skills when it comes around too.

 

Use a tripod with remote and time lapse photography

 

If you want to take photos over a long period of time with the same camera, then using a tripod can be incredibly helpful. This is also great for shooting time lapses or any other type of shot with the same camera. You should always be aware of where your tripod is in relation to you, and if it’s on the ground instead of being on a stable surface then there’s a good chance that your pictures will have blurred edges or will not turn out at all.

Also read: Top DSLR Camera Below Rs 20,000– Budget Pick

Take different pictures with the same camera at different times

If you’re really serious about taking great photos then it’s important to make sure that you have a variety of things to do with your camera. There are occasions when you’ll want to take a certain kind of picture, and then there are other times when this same type of picture won’t quite be as good as another. Try taking pictures at different times in a day, or at different locations, and make sure that those images turn out great.

How to be a Perfect Photographer

Use your eyes to find picture ideas before actually taking any photos

 

Finally, it’s important for any photographer to think outside the box when it comes to making sure that they’re always having new ideas. If you’re sitting around and staring at a wall for hours you may be able to come up with something amazing, but it’s just not likely. You have to use your senses to the fullest in order to take great photos, and if you have an idea that doesn’t require any images then make sure that you use it as much as possible.

Relevant reading: Top DSLR Cameras You Can Buy under ₹40000 in India

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use a DSLR as a webcam?

A DSLR makes a fine webcam, but there are some limitations. The biggest disadvantages are it’s poor color quality and the screen’s cramped size. Nowadays this isn’t as big of a problem with HD webcams such as Logitech’s C920 that have 12x digital zoom and discrete color resolution. They’re more expensive than DSLRs, but they work really well for web conferences when you need a high resolution video feed from afar away.”

Can I use a DSLR as a webcam? Short and concise answer: No. The biggest disadvantages are it’s poor color quality and the screen’s crammed size. Nowadays this isn’t as big of a problem with HD webcams such as Logitech’s C920 that have 12x digital zoom and discrete color resolution. They’re more expensive than DSLRs, but they work really well for web conferences when you need a high-quality video feed from afar away.

How do I change video format on my camera to mp4 or avi?

If you want to change the playback format of a video from anything other than what it came with, then you’ll need to use software in order to do so. So how do I change video format on my camera? First, make sure that your camera is on and plugged in. Next, open the Camera app on your device and go through the standard steps for capturing media in order of Capture Photo – Video – Audio. Once captured, tap where it says Format and choose the desired format from there (mp4 or avi).

The short answer is that you can save time by using software instead of a manual conversion process.

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