I am an avid amateur photographer, usually disappointed with most
of my photos but eager to get better. I also like looking at good
photos from others. Here are some things I'm
learning, based on my mistakes. :)
Tips
- Usually the sun should be at your back, for the best colors and exposure.
- Sunlight is most interesting for about 20 minutes before sunrise
and again before sunset; altough actual time varies. :)
- A polaroid filter saturates color nicely.
- Don't let your subject pose; you will get a fake smile and
face. Ask your subject not to smile; then if she does, it will be
genuine. Try to snap your subject when she is animated, with some
expression on her face. If you must pose someone, here is a neat
trick: ask her to look away, focus on her face, then at the count of
three, have her turn her head to face you. This creates more
interesting facial expressions (surprise? wonder? interest?) than a
fake smile. :)
- Move into your subject, don't be afraid to get close, and to talk
with them. When traveling in a car, stop often to get out for photos.
- If you want maximum
depth of field, use a high number aperture
f-stop such as F16 or higher. The higher f-stop, the smaller the
opening, and the less defocus / lens spread can occur. You need a lot of light
(and/or a slower shutter speed) to get maximum depth of field.
- Shutter speed.
If taking photos from a moving vehicle, use a very fast shutter
speed (potentially requiring a high ISO setting).
- Exposure metering. If your subject will be locked in the
center, use spot metering or center-weighted; else if
your subject will not be in the center, use 3D matrix metering.
- Focus. If the subject is moving, use
continuous-focus mode so the subject will stay in focus.
- If the subject is fixed, used fixed-focus mode so you can
instead lock focus on the object, then frame the shot and shoot it.
Mistakes
Here are a list of mistakes I have made while taking photos; I list
these here to remind me not to make them again....
- Forgot to reset a custom white balance (e.g., for taking photos
inside an ice hockey rink with odd lighting) back to automatic.
- Took a photo of a dark-faced man against a dark background; I
should have moved such that the tree trunk was not behind him.
