You don’t need to be a professional photographer with a $1500 camera to capture a great photo. Just check out these 5 quick tips, take your pictures, and sit back…National Geographic will be calling you any day now.
1. Get CLOSER
Move closer to your subject. Closer, closer…great. Now get even closer. Of course you can crop pictures later, but it’s much easier to get a great shot when your subject is really obvious. Like in-your-face obvious. If you get closer, you’ll be less likely to have a background filled with telephone wires, photo-bombers and other stuff that gets in the way of the perfect picture.
2. Try different angles
Move to the right, then to the left. Check if you can get your shot in a reflection. Don’t feel like you need to shoot everything straight on and don’t be afraid to get a little dirty. Sometimes the ultimate picture can only be captured from low on the ground, so leave your nice pants at home on those days. Beauty comes with a little perspective, and angles make photos more interesting.
3. Experiment with your subject
Play around with the placement of your subject. Shooting the subject off to one side of the photo helps the viewer take in the whole scene. Sometimes it’s okay to break the rule of thirds. We also encourage you to take more candid shots! The same posed smiling shots in front of famous landmark A, B, or C gets way too stiff after a while. Think about where your eyes naturally go when you first see an image; keeping that in mind will help you to capture the perfect picture.
4. Frame your subject
Find a tree branch, bridge, bigger building, or practically anything that will naturally frame your shot, so that the object you’re shooting will pop. Playing with light can also help emphasise your subject and the framing you’ve worked so hard to achieve will be all the more obvious.
5. Finally, put the camera down!
Don’t try to take pictures of everything, just because you have a new 128GB memory card in your camera. You won’t be able to record everything and while you stare through the viewfinder, you’re missing what’s happening right in front of you! Some things are best experienced through the original high-definition lens: your eyes.
These tips will help make sure that you capture the best possible photos during your travels. Have any more hints for us? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
