The Essentials of Good Photography

A picture can just be a picture or it can be a photograph. I consider a photograph something that has feelings, emotions, or a meaning behind it. Whether it is your emotions or the person or thing you are photographing. There are many things to photograph. People are the most common thing to photograph. A portrait of a person is a single image that captures their character and mannerism. To complete a successful portrait you must know what to capture on this person. Is this their body language, a certain look, a facial expression, or that certain pose that no one else can pull off and make it look that way? Sometimes it combines more than one of these elements. Get to know the person you are photographing for this portrait. What stands out on them for you for this portrait? A background for a portrait is just as important. This can help in bringing out their personality. It may be something they do as a career. Are they an avid animal lover? Try to include these things to help bring out this excellent portrait. Anyone can just take a picture of this person. While including these props don't center the person in the middle. Perhaps consider centering the item of choice in the center so that the person being photographed is being emphasized by their passion. Most people are nervous while getting photographed. Reassure them to be relaxed and to be them self. Give a lot of compliments as you are shooting their portraits. If they are very tense try turning them slightly to the side. This will not show the tension as much in the portrait.

Try and keep your lense at normal eye level instead of too high or too low as this will proportion the body wrong. The lighting for your portrait should come from slightly above and to either side. This will bring out the character more in your portrait. Too much of this light however can bring on shadows on your character which will make your portrait look poorly. You should use soft lighting in your portrait photography. Outdoor portraits are an amazing way to capture great photography also.. You have so much more to choose from as far as lighting, backgrounds and scenery. You need to choose a special place that is going to work in your character's favor and not against it. You don't want a background that is overwhelming. You wouldn't want to put a small child in front of huge mountains. The mountains will overpower the child. You have to remember your main focus is your character. Try and position your character so the sun isn't directly shining in their face nor directly behind them. This reduces red eye, shadows, and squinting.

Nature is another lovely form of photography. Catching nature's elegance is a marvelous thing. Patience and planning are our biggest attributes in this form of photography. You have to try and pre-focus on things. If you know a fly or bee is going to land upon a flower, prefocus on that flower and be ready to take your picture. This is where your patience comes in. Close ups in nature are one of the best photographs. In nature settings you have to decide whether or not to use your flash. If you are far enough away from your nature subject such as an animal you may choose to shut your flash off. This will speed up the snap of your photo. Wildlife photos require quick reflexes, planning, and patience. Sometimes you may never catch that special photo you have waited on all day but sometimes you may capture several of those special shots. You must learn the animal's behavior pattern. You should study up on these patterns. This is a very valuable tool when shooting wildlife photography. A lot of wildlife will welcome your presence however a lot will not. Don't appear threatening to your subject. Move slowly and keep your movements to a minimum. Use natural covering when in a woods but leave yourself a good shooting opening and good visibility. A less time consuming and less planning form of shooting wildlife would be in a accessible area like a zoo. You should carefully photograph avoiding the railings and signs around them in the zoo as this will appear more natural..

Landscape pictures are beautiful photographs. When you catch a sun as it is rising or a sun that is setting for the day it is a gorgeous sight. Landscapes are easier to photograph as you don't have to worry as much about the lighting or movement of your subject. You should emphasize on certain aspects of your landscape. You should try and focus on a certain part of a waterfall. Catching the amazing sight of light reflecting off of a lake is a gorgeous photograph. Rainbows are also beautiful and rare to photograph. Reflections of a house or boat off a lake is another beautiful sight. In landscape photographs you have to have an open mind and think of what the out bringing is going to be. Driving down the road and just photographing a red barn with the sun behind it is a great shot of photography. This would look beautiful in a wooden frame. Shooting a landscape of lit buildings at night would be great detail. Try photographing a storm coming in on the horizon, lightening strikes, the sun reflecting off puddles in the street, or fog against some trees. Landscaping photography has endless possibilities.

These are just some of the possibilities of things to capture in a good photograph. The seasons, people, plants, mother nature, animals, and anything that draws your attention has great capability for a great photograph. The possibilities are endless. Just remember to have good lighting, patience, persistence, and an open mind. Most of all have fun with your photos. If you need more tips or need more information, search the internet. I am sure there are plenty of web pages to help you out with what area of photography you are most interested in.