4 Essential Elements of Successful Photography for Beginners
Introduction
Everyone has to start somewhere, and for me that “where” was the yearbook room. There I held an expensive sports camera in my hands for the first time and asked myself how in the world I was ever going to figure out how to use it. There were so many buttons and moving parts, I was overwhelmed and anxious.
In comes Mr. B, my high school photography and yearbook teacher. He showed me how to use a camera and taught me the photography basics. So, I thought, who better to teach you the basics of taking a great photo than the one who taught me! I reached out to Mr. B and we reflected on the elements of creating a great photo. From our conversation I have compiled four components to taking photos which, when applied, will make you a better photographer in no time.
1. Bring a Unique Perspective
Don’t make your work look like everyone else’s. You see the world through different eyes than all of the other people in this world — let it show when you pull out your camera. Take photos so when someone looks at them, they know it was you who took it. Show your own perspective on a subject through your choice of angle or lighting. Photography is an art — express yourself.
There are a bunch of different types of photography out there — explore them! Everyone’s photography has a different vibe to it, even if they are in the same industry. I have two different wedding photography websites listed below. Take a look at the portfolios and notice how although they both showcase wedding photos, they have completely different styles.
While Lily & Lime’s is more simplistic, Abby Leigh’s is more cinematic. They are different from one another, and yet are both amazing at what they do. Find your own unique perspective and show it through your art.
2. Composition
Knowing how to use composition is an important factor when it comes to whether your photo looks interesting or just average. Composition, according to Adobe, is “how a photographer arranges visual elements within their frame.” You want your composition to be excellent, so your viewer’s eye will be led to the subject of the photo. Some composition rules you could choose to follow are the rule of thirds, leading lines, or depth of field, among others.
For more in-depth information, check out The basics of photography composition by Adobe.
3. Lighting
Lighting is a key element in photography, so it’s important to understand how to control it or use it to your highest benefit. It can be difficult to find great lighting inside, so many photographers invest in studio equipment and lights (that can get expensive real fast, though). Another option is to do your photography outside, which works perfectly fine for nature photography, senior pictures, or a plethora of other types of photography. My point is, you can do photography anywhere, but you need to have an awareness of the lighting, and you need to know how to control or manipulate the way the light affects the photo you are trying to take, so you can achieve the results you want.
Here’s a link to the Top 5 photography lighting tips for beginners by Simple Booth which provides amazing advice on lighting to help get you started.
4. Technical Skills
Once you understand lighting and composition, you can begin to focus on the technical skills, such as editing. Take time to gain knowledge and expertise in editing options and expertly cropping images so you can enhance them. Convey your meaning to the viewer through your choices, which may vary from heavy editing to little or none. Consider what effects are best suited to the piece you are trying to create or the perspective you are trying to show. Adobe’s Lightroom and Photoshop are valuable editing tools, if you have the money to buy them. They are used by professionals and are high quality. But, you could probably find a less expensive option with which to start experimenting.
Conclusion
Take into consideration these four key components of photography the next time you go out to take some shots. Some great advice from Mr. B — “Keep taking pictures and looking at the subject differently. Experiment and take multiple shots of the same subjects. There should be quantity over quality.” And that’s okay! The more angles you try, the more likely you are to find the perfect one! So, get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot!
Sources
and a special thanks to Mr. B!