I bet you’ve heard people say that people don’t need to play a big part of the photo taking process, since cameras will take care of taking the photos, people needing only to push the button after aiming at the target. Well, it’s not true. While you can take a good photo using a normal camera of the point and shoot type, you can just as well mess a photo even though you’re using a high priced Nikon. The camera helps, but ultimately people are responsible for the photos that are taken. If you know what you’re doing, adjusting the settings of the camera makes all the difference between a failed and a great photo. Below are some tips that will help you take great looking photos, just like those taken by professionals with cameras worth thousands of dollars.
1. Use warmer tones
In some cases, when you take photos, you will see that they have a clammy look. This is caused by the white balance of the camera, which is set on auto mode. In most cases, auto mode is sufficient, but not all photos will look good when you use it.
When you take photos of landscapes with sunny backgrounds or portraits in the outdoors, try making the white balance cloudy instead of auto. It adds a warming filter to the digital camera, which makes the photos warmer, by increasing the yellow and the red.
Try testing the tip you just learned. Go outdoors and take some photos with auto balance, then another few photos by using the cloudy setting. Compare the photos and see the difference between them.
2. Sunglasses Polarizer
For that extra punch added to the photos you take, what you need to use is a polarizing filter. If you take outdoor or landscape photos, then owning a polarizing filter is a must. These filters reduce reflections and glare and make the color of the photos richer.
If you want the photos to be very good, try having the sun over one of your shoulders. If the sun is at an angle of 90 degrees, the polarizing effect works best.
3. Shining Outdoor Portraits
Something that most cameras have but few people know about is the flash on or fill flash modes. This way, you can flash the subject when you desire it, not when the digital camera thinks it should. This is a great part of taking good outdoor photos.