Street Photography

Street Photography is a genre of photography that can’t be easily described to others. The understanding of the definition of it varies from individual to individual due to the fact that each person simply understands it in a different way. I don’t know who originally named this genre of Photography “Street Photography”, but as time has passed, more and more additions to the definition have been made. Street Photography has changed and maybe that is why for some, the actual name “Street Photography” is now a bit confusing.

" like to think street photography is more than just guys jumping over puddles. One of the most famous “street photographs” taken by a photographer who never even called himself a “street photographer.”

Sports Photography

Sports photography is one of the most exciting and challenging types of photography. Capturing the action at its peak is your ultimate goal; this requires planning and skill. Here are a few tips to help you become better at capturing that "peak action" that is the hallmark of great sports photographers.

Know Your Sport

In order to capture those magic moments in sports that excite and thrill the fans, you will need to be able to predict the peak action. Peak action occurs at the point of impact as in baseball and golf or at the height of a jump as in basketball or track and field. Capturing this peak action requires knowledge and timing. You must be prepared to shoot when the action occurs and this requires an understanding of the game.

Get to know the coaches and the players. Learn who the stars are or who may give you a great reaction. Some of the greatest shots in sports history have come after a shot or a play. Coaches will give you some great shots when given the chance.

Get position

Get as close to the action as possible. No sport is going to allow you to be on the court or field-of-play. However, you may be able to sit near the sideline or goal-line at some events. Other times you may be restricted to the stands. It is important to get there early in order to have the best opportunities.

Also, be sure your field of vision is not obstructed. This may be nearly impossible to do in a crowd. However, with a little planning and maneuvering you should be able to set up for some great shots.

Position yourself so that you have a clean background unobstructed by unsightly objects such as trashcans or other photographers. You will want the focus to be on the players and not on background noise.

Sports Photography is about Timing

This is a reflex that is learned through practice. You must know enough about the sports to be able to determine when the peak action will occur. For instance, during a basketball jump-shot, the peak action occurs at the top of the jump; in football it can occur when a player dives for a shot; in golf, when the ball is struck. Knowing this information instinctively is what makes a sports photographer great.

The best advice for any would-be sports photographer is to keep your eye on the ball. That is where the action occurs. For instance, in baseball, the peak action occurs when a ball is hit, thrown, or caught. This is where your attention should be focused.

Another tip for capturing the peak action is to pre-focus your camera for action shots. At a baseball game you might pre-focus on home plate; in basketball, the rim; and in hockey, the goal. By pre-focusing you will give yourself a better chance at capturing a great shot. Professional photographers will carry an extra camera that they can pre-focus for situations like this. This type of specific focus is called zone focusing.

Practice make perfect in sports photography. You can not rely on just luck. You must practice in order to train your reflexes to react in an instant.

Lighting Challenges

Lighting can present a challenge in sports photography especially in dimly-lit gyms. To compound the problem, flash in not permitted to be used in many venues such as gymnastics. You will need to rely on wider aperture openings and faster shutter speeds in order to compensate for the lack of lighting. The same hold true for poorly-lit outdoor fields such as high school stadiums. Outdoor day-lit venues are easier to manage as they give plenty of natural light.

Sports photography can be the most rewarding type of photography but it takes knowledge, preparation, and great timing to accomplish. By following these tips you will be well on your way to capturing those great sports moments we all cherish.

Photojournalism Photography

Photojournalism is the process of story telling using the medium of photography as your main story telling device. While a journalist will use their pen and paper to tell stories, a photojournalist will use their camera to capture the visual representation of a story.

Most of us are familiar with the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Well this is the theory behind photojournalism. News publications are willing to pay top dollar to those photojournalists who can capture the most dramatic images on film or their CCD chip.

Robert Capa is a great example of a photojournalist. He photographed many wars and had the motto “If your pictures aren’t good enough you’re not close enough”. Unfortunately this motto lead to his death as he was fatally injured in the Indochina War.

His work, along with many other photojournalists have educated millions of people on various social injustices that happen around the world. If you are interested in becoming a photojournalist then you might want to consider enrolling in our photography school.

We will teach you all of the important concepts behind photographic composition and both technical and artistic considerations.

If you're wondering what it's like to be a photojournalist here is an article about a week in the life of a photojournalist.

Night - Long Exposure Photography

A useful technique in night photography is the long exposure. The effects that can be captured with a long exposure are stunning and have an ethereal quality. The most important tool that you will need is a sturdy tripod, and a DSLR camera that allows for long exposures.

1. Photographing the Ferris Wheel:

To photograph a Ferris wheel at night, move close and use a wide-angle lens to get as much detail as possible. Place your camera on a tripod and frame the image. Because we want all the elements to be sharp, choose a small aperture between f/11-f/32. Set your camera to either Manual or TV (Shutter Priority) mode and choose a shutter speed according to the speed of the lighted Ferris wheel, and the style you are after (anywhere between 1-30 seconds). You should take the image using the camera’s self timer or a cable release so that you avoid touching and jiggling the camera. The image captured will be full of light trails against a black sky, yet the center beams that hold the wheel will be sharp.

 2.Making Stars Trails:

A long exposure on a starry night can produce beautiful light trails created by the stars and the rotation of the earth. The best way to frame the image is to include an element of interest such as an old tree in the foreground. Place your camera on a tripod and focus the lens to infinity. You’ll want to use a cable release to eliminate camera shake of any kind, as it will RUIN your photo. Set the camera to B "Bulb" shooting mode and set your aperture between f/2.8 - f/4 for optimal results. Depress the remote to open the shutter. You should keep your ISO at 100 to keep the digital noise at a minimum. To complete the photo after your desired elapsed time, depress the remote again, and release the shutter. These exposures can be 15 minutes to several hours long..

3.Stunning Light Trails:

Traffic head light and tail light trails give a stunning effect and are a great way to get acquainted with long exposure times. Select a busy road that has lots of traffic at night. Use a sturdy tripod and position the camera so that it has an overview of the area. Use a small aperture of f/16 or smaller for a greater depth of field, making most of the image in focus. The longer the exposure, the more lines will appear and the longer they will look.

       
   4.Determining Exposure:

The exposure of your night time image will vary depending on certain factors. If there is a lot of ambient light then the shutter speed will be shorter. If you are shooting somewhere very dark, then the shutter speed will need to be longer. To capture the effects of light trails you need a shutter speed of at least 1/15th of a second, which means you must use a tripod. The image of the Houses of Parliament required a 6 second shutter speed, which is slow enough to capture the traffic trails. The f/8 aperture allowed the building to be sharp. The more you practice the more you will become tuned to the exposure you need for the effect you want.

Landscape Photography

Going back in history, landscapes were originally used primarily to fill in the blank space behind a person or scene by painters, and other artists. However as art and photography has evolved, the “background” was seen to have artistic value in and of itself. Today, landscape photography is a very popular pursuit.

These days, almost everyone carries a camera. From the small pocket digital cameras, to dSLR cameras, to smart phones. It is now essentially free to take as many photos as you want, and you can view them immediately. These changes in photography have meant that we are now flooded with images on social media, television and in advertising.

Is every “happy snap” taken of the landscape, by default, a landscape photo? I would argue that it is not.

In trying to answer the question, “what is landscape photography”, I came across many possible definitions including “the branch of photography dealing with the representation of natural scenery” to “photos of pretty much anything as long as it’s outside”!

So, what is landscape photography? For me, it is photography that focuses on the natural world and has a purpose…

Landscape Photos should have a Purpose

Tell a Story

A good landscape picture should make a connection with the viewer, and tell you a story. A good landscape picture will have you finding interesting details in the photo for several months after you first see it.
The skill is to entertain the viewer within the singular moment of the photo. Capturing the instant in time, and preserving it forever, can make it into something amazing.
It can remind you of a certain location, a certain point in time, or a period of your life.

 Show someone more than they see

Landscape photography is not purely about taking yourself to beautiful locations- in fact the real skill comes from finding the beauty in everyday life.
I came across a quote that I liked by Eliot Porter, an American nature photographer- “All the cycles of life are beautiful.” This quote rings true to the landscape photographer, as you search for the “special parts” in life around you.
Many great landscape photos have been taken in places that would not usually be considered beautiful- by choosing what to include or exclude, and bringing your own unique perspective, you can choose the scene that best represents your creative vision.
It all comes together when you push the camera shutter and the photo reveals something special and spectacular.

 Sharing the feelings of a moment

Another aspect of landscape photography is to share the feelings that come with these incredible moments in time. It is one thing to be able to see these amazing things yourself, it is quite another to be able to share them with others.

 Remind people of the beauty of our world

The final purpose that I will talk about is the ability to remind people of nature, and the natural world. In our current lives it is easy to run out of time to stop and smell the roses. It is common to get caught in your own busy world and lose track of the outside world.
Landscape photography should remind you of that connection we all have to the land, and remind you to stop every so often, to take a big breath, and be aware.
Landscape pictures can also show both the strength and the fragility of nature- the volatile beauty of the wilderness and the earth that needs to be protected.
The act of photography intensifies ones visual experience.

Food Photography

Food photography may not be as popular as landscape photography or portraiture, but it’s a genre which holds many advantages over others. We all buy, prepare and consume food, so we don't need go to too much extra trouble in sourcing our subjects. It’s something that can be done in the convenience of our own homes (regardless of the weather), and by working with the seasons you have a continuously changing variety of subjects to work with. 

The photographs you see in magazines and books will almost certainly have had some input from a stylist, one who is experienced with working with different foods and props in order to make everything look presentable. Perhaps most of us don’t have a natural aptitude for food styling, but simple garnishes for most dishes shouldn’t be beyond anyone’s creative capabilities. So what else does the budding novice need to know? 

But how do you photograph food and get such great results?

1. Lighting

Treat the food you’re photographing as you would any other still life subject and ensure that it is well lit. Many of the poor examples of food photography that I’ve come across in the research for this article could have been drastically improved with adequate lighting. One of the best places to photograph food is by a window where there is plenty of natural light – perhaps supported with flash bounced off a ceiling or wall to give more balanced lighting that cuts out the shadows. This daylight helps to keep the food looking much more natural.

2. Props

Pay attention not only to the arrangement of the food itself but to the context that you put it in including the plate or bowl and any table settings around it. Don’t clutter the photo with a full table setting but consider one or two extra elements such as a glass, fork, flower or napkin. These elements can often be placed in secondary positions in the foreground or background of your shot.

3. Be Quick

Food doesn’t keep it’s appetizing looks for long so as a photographer you’ll need to be well prepared and able to shoot quickly after it’s been cooked before it melts, collapses, wilts and/or changes color. This means being prepared and knowing what you want to achieve before the food arrives. One strategy that some use is to have the shot completely set up with props before the food is ready and then to substitute a stand-in plate to get your exposure right. Then when the food is ready you just switch the stand-in plate with the real thing and you’re ready to start shooting.

4. Style it

The way food is set out on the plate is as important as the way you photograph it. Pay attention to the balance of food in a shot (color, shapes etc) and leave a way into the shot (using leading lines and the rule of thirds to help guide your viewer’s eye into the dish). One of the best ways to learn is to get some cook books to see how the pros do it.

5. Enhance it

One tip that a photographer gave me last week when I said I was writing this was to have some vegetable oil on hand and to brush it over food to make it glisten in your shots.

6. Get Down Low

A mistake that many beginner food photographers make is taking shots that look down on a plate from directly above. While this can work in some circumstances – in most cases you’ll get a more better shot by shooting from down close to plate level (or slightly above it).

7. Macro

Really focusing in upon just one part of the dish can be an effective way of highlighting the different elements of it.

8. Steam

Having steam rising off your food can give it a ‘just cooked’ feel which some food photographers like. Of course this can be difficult to achieve naturally. I spoke with one food stylist a few years back who told me that they added steam with a number of artificial strategies including microwaving water soaked cotton balls and placing them behind food. This is probably a little advance for most of us – however it was an interesting trick so I thought I’d include it.

Fashion Photography

Fashion photography is a genre of photography which is devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines. Over time, fashion photography has developed its own aesthetic in which the clothes and fashions are enhanced by the presence of exotic locations or accessories.

10 Fashion Photography Tips:

1. Fashion photography should convey an essence of authority, so your direction of the model(s) needs to be confident and self-assured.  Showing signs of anxiety, stress or lack of direction will invariably be reflected in the performance of your model so make the subject feel comfortable and involved.  Organise a shot list before the shoot and rehearse technique and composition for each shot in your mind. Prepare the location, props and clothes ahead of time and for a truly effective shoot be sure to communicate your agenda, objective and posing directions coherently and calmly.
2.  Fashion photography is all about clothes and beauty, so pull all the elements of the scene and the model together to reflect this. For example if the shoot focuses on the clothes– use make-up and hair styling to compliment the garment – and vice versa.  If you desire a provocative or seductive look opt for dark, heavy make-up and over styled hair; alternatively for an innocent or natural feel choose subdued pastel tones, gentle make up and soft flowing hair styles.  Unusual looking folk bring interest and personality to the piece, whereas female models with large almond eyes, big lips, small chins and symmetrical faces are deemed “more commercial”.   
3. Posing can be a tricky point to master but browse through the latest men’s and women’s magazines to target a few inspired suggestions as well as getting a grip on what is currently fashionable. Using ‘broken down’ poses or poses that require angular body shapes can add interest and edginess to the piece – as well as help to elongate body length.
4. A studio is an ideal place to perform a fashion shoot because photographers can easily control lighting and stabilise conditions. If you are shooting in a studio environment remember to meter all areas of the scene to avoid unwanted shadows and the use of a separate light meter rather than the one in your camera, will offer a more accurate reading.
5. If you can’t afford to hire a professional studio and all the pricey equipment there is a way you can cheat at home. Clear a space in a room that benefits from large windows and peg a white sheet, net or fabric across the window. On a bright sunny day you’ll have yourself a homemade soft box – ideal for flattering even light.
6. When shooting in low light or into the sun, you may require an extra light source. If all you have is flash then rather than shoot straight on, set it to bounce of a nearby reflector, wall or ceiling. Experiment with angles to create an array of effects and discover what works best for you and the scene you are shooting. Be careful to pay attention to unwanted shadows that may fall across the face and body.
7.  Props are fantastic for telling a narrative within a fashion shot, but one of the best props to use is a mirror. A mirror can be a used to tell a story and act as an effective tool that allows the photographer to display the front and back of your model. Take a spate reading for the mirror and you may need to bracket your exposures here. Be careful to position yourself, lighting equipment and anything not to do with the shoot out of the reflection.  
8. Location, location, location! Getting the right location is important if you want to convey a narrative within your shot.  For example if the clothing and beauty styling are edgy, hard or provocative you may want to consider an urban setting , alternatively for spring/summer and natural fashions find a rural environment like; a field, meadow, beach, woodland or river bank.
9. Influence the image by moving around the scene and exploring which angles work best to full expose the garment. This could mean climbing a ladder, crouching low, working a slanted angle or moving closer to the subject. Think about what the message is here and create a composition to reinforce it.
10.  Fashion photography is achievable alone, but to step it up a gear rope in a friend, family member or photography student as an assistant. Often photographers need an extra pair of hands to position reflectors, angle and reset lighting equipment, tweak the positioning of garments and clear the scene.

Documentary Photography

Documentary photography follows a single topic or story in-depth over time, as opposed to photojournalism’s real-time coverage of breaking news and events. By deepening our understanding and emotional connection to stories of injustice, documentary photography can capture and sustain public attention, and mobilize people around pressing social and human rights issues.

The following tips will help get you going.

• Choose and Research Your Subject:

This could quite possibly be the most challenging phase of the process; who is going to be the center of attention in your documentary project? It could be someone in your own family whose story you want to tell — your grandparents, perhaps. It could be a family other than your own, a neighbor, or a group of individuals employed in an occupation you find particularly intriguing. You can choose someone you know well or someone you’re not especially acquainted with.

Regardless of how well you know the subject, spend some time doing research and asking questions, as this will assist you in determining how you want to present your subject and you will have at least a slight idea of what to expect during shooting.

• Get Inspired and Choose a Style:

Now that you know what you’re going to shoot, you need to decide how you’re going to shoot it. Will you use natural light or flash to impact mood? What do you need to do to ensure your photos are coherent and thematic? Should you do mostly wide shots? Long shots? Will your finished images be color or black and white? If you need help deciding such things, take a look at great documentarians like those listed at the top of this article, or browse entries from photography contests under the appropriate category. There’s no shortage of inspiring work out there for you take some cues from.

• Get Prepared:

Decide what gear you will need to pull off what you have in mind; if you need to be mobile and move quickly, a minimalistic approach will serve you best. Also, obtain permission as you need it. If you are shooting at a place of business, for example, you can’t just show up with your camera and do whatever you want. It’s important to not be intrusive, so play nice with others and they will likely return the favor in kind.

• Embrace Your Role as a Storyteller:

You have the responsibility of objectively telling your subject’s story; regardless of whatever stylistic decisions you make, your number one goal is to represent the truth as it relates specifically to your subject. You are not editorializing, you are documenting.

• Interact With Your Object:

Assuming your subject matter is people-focused. If so, and your aren’t going for the detached observer approach, then your work will benefit from establishing relationships with your subjects. Introduce yourself, explain a little bit about what you’re doing, ask them about themselves; if your subjects are at ease and comfortable with having you around, it will be strongly reflected in your images.

• Play The Waiting Game:

Don’t think that the moment you walk onto your location great moments are going to start happening; it doesn’t work that way. You have to wait for things to unfold and develop at their own pace. Remain vigilant, always on the look out for defining moments, but don’t try to rush it. Accept that it could be hours, perhaps days, before you get the shot you’re looking for.

Of course, if you’re working within a limited time frame, you will need to maximize that time. In such cases, don’t become overly focused on one thing; refocus your attention elsewhere, then come back to your original target.

• The Big Picture vs. Details:

You can more effectively tell a story by using varied perspectives; don’t rely exclusively on one kind of shot. Use wide angle shots to establish the scene, and use more detailed shots to personalize the story.

• Keep Post-Processing Simple:

If you rushed through the shoot or didn’t put the deserved amount of care into each shot, going overboard with post-processing cannot save you; it will only call greater attention to your failure to get things right in-camera. So, in keeping with the idea of truth and reality, make sure that your images require little processing. Thoughtful framing and composition will have far more impact than unnecessary processing flourishes.

• It’s All About Presentation:

Now you get to show off all your hard work. Choose the most meaningful images and round them up into a cohesive unit; organize them in such a way that they form a story that is easy for the viewer to follow. Keep in mind that the images that have the most narrative impact may not always be the “best” shots — don’t include photos just because they look nice. Stick to images that act as vital pieces to a puzzle.

From there, decide how you want to present your final product to your viewers. You might build an online slideshow, compile a book, hang prints in a gallery — it’s up to you. Documentary photography can be a demanding but rewarding task. Give your work the treatment you know it deserves.

Candid Photography

A Candid Photography  is a photograph captured without creating a posed appearance. This is achieved in many ways, for example:

when the subject is in motion,

by avoiding prior preparation of the subject,

by surprising the subject,

by not distracting the subject during the process of taking photos.

Thus, the candid character of a photo is unrelated to the subject's knowledge about or consent to the fact that photos are being taken, and unrelated to the subject's permission for further usage and distribution. The crucial factor is the actual absence of posing. However, if the subject is absolutely unaware of being photographed and does not even expect it, then such photography is secret photography, which is a special case of candid photography.

Architectural Photography

Architectural Photography is simply photographing the design aesthetics of buildings and structures. There are different types of subjects when it comes to Architectural Photography – it can cover tall buildings, bungalow houses, heritage sites, modern buildings, farm barns, bridges, warehouses, factories, and many more. Typically, architects and architectural firms who want to display their work are the primary clients of Architecture Photographers, although property owners who would also like their homes featured or published can hire an Architecture Photographer as well.

Architecture photography isn’t just about showcasing the façade of a building and its external features. It covers the whole building in its design entirety. Sense architecture involves the interior features of a building, it should not be mistaken with Real Estate Photography which focuses on the space rather than the design, although both professional photographers can include furniture arrangements or similar setups done inside the actual building.

Architecture Photography is really more about the design than the building itself. When it comes to design, an Architecture Photographer may highlight some of the details that make a building look aesthetically pleasing. It is not uncommon to see architectural photographs of just a fraction of the whole building. Perhaps a wall, an archway, or some beams may be shown instead of the whole appearance of the actual building.

Aside from the common buildings that we see, Architecture Photography also covers shooting buildings, walkways, arches, and other structures that serve a different purpose other than providing shelter or space. Highlighting the design of these structures including patterns and other design aesthetics is the first concern of an Architectural Photographer.

Aerial Photography

Aerial photography is the acquisition of a vertical image with a specialize camera installed on board of an airplane, equipped for this type of work.

Airborne acquisitions are always performed in such a manner that two consecutive photographs have a side and forward overlap. These overlaps enable a three dimensional (3D) observation of the territory, with the help of a specialized tool. The optical phenomenon, which makes it possible to see in 3D, is called the stereoscopy.

Overlap

In order to obtain a three dimensional view of a covered territory, part of the photographed land on one image has to be also present on the next image, this is what is called overlap.

Stereoscopy

As the airplane flies, the photographed area, which is showed on two consecutive aerial photographs, that is the forward overlap, provides a view of the territory photographed at two different angles. When looking at this part of the photographs with the help of a specialize tool, such as the stereoscope, it is possible to view the landscape (relief) because it appears in three dimensions.

The raw image, as it is acquired on board the airplane, can be processed and printed on paper film or diapositive; and is then called an aerial photograph.

When the image is digitalized and corrected so as to eliminate the imprecision resulting from the airplane position in flight and the distortion due to the ground relief, it is called an orthophotograph. Every orthophotograph is georeferenced, which means that it has location geometrical properties identical to those of a map.

Top 15 Genres of Photography That you Need to Know

In the age of the smart phone, where we are constantly shooting and sharing photographs on the go; everyone is exposed to photography and visual imagery in some form or another. Whether we are looking at pictures of friends on social media, huge billboards or advertising campaigns at local departmental stores; photography is used to communicate a message or tell a story to the viewer.

We may be shooting pictures every day, but how many of us know the different styles of photography that have been inspiring photographers? Understanding the different styles or genres of photography is key for developing our knowledge in the area and also for gaining an insight as to where our photography fits.

Let’s look at the top 15 genres that we can draw inspiration from:

• Aerial Photography
• Architectural Photography
• Candid Photography
• Documentary Photography
• Fashion Photography
• Food Photography
• Landscape Photography
• Night-Long Exposure Photography
• Photojournalism
• Conceptual/Fine art Photography
• Portraiture
• Sport Photography
• Street Photography
• War Photography
• Wild-Life Photography

Conclusion

So those are 7 absolutely core aspects of photography that every shooter should be studying and developing. Some of them can be understood in a short period of time, and others will take a lifetime to master. But that’s good news. You’ve got a lot of exciting learning ahead of you!

But are there other things to learn? Are there other topics to dive into to help your photography? Of course there are! These are just a starting point. They get you proficient with a camera and the language of visual art. From there it’s a whole world of things to explore.

Maybe you want to do portraits, and then there’s a ton of subject interaction and psychology you could learn. Or perhaps you want to dive into travel photography. There you have a huge variety of genres, from photojournalism to landscape, and then an anthropologist’s curiosity for culture and a historian’s interest in the past will serve you well in telling the stories of the places you visit.

There’s no end to what you can learn as a photographer, but these 7 topics are a very good place to start. So what are you waiting for? Pick one and get going!

7.Perfect Your Post-Processing

Let’s end it off on a topic that is a little bit controversial.

See there are two camps in the photography world. There are those that believe that post-processing (using software to edit your images after they’ve been taken) is at best a waste of time, and at worst a perversion of reality.

The other camp believes that post-processing is a tool that a photographer can use help their images more closely resemble what their eyes witnessed as they took the photos, or go further to enhance the mood or tell a story. It’s a creative technique that has been around for as long as photography itself.

Any guesses which camp we belong to? 

Post-processing is an essential skill for a digital photographer. (Gasp! Even film photographers do post-processing!)  It’s a simple fact that straight out of your digital camera, your images don’t look anything like the original scene they captured. They’re dull, flat and lifeless. Post-processing helps bring back that beauty by adjusting things like contrast, brightness, sharpness, and saturation.

Then you can go even further. With programs like Adobe Light room you can do things like dodging and burning, which means to selectively lighten or darken parts of an image in order to direct your viewers’ attention where you want it to go.

These aren’t new techniques. Dodging and burning goes back to the beginnings of photography, but originally they were done by painstakingly exposing different parts of the print for different amounts of time. Very difficult, and if you made a mistake you’d have to start all over again. This image by W. Eugene Smith apparently took 5 days to dodge and burn!

Nowadays, with Light room, you can do it in seconds, and fine tune as much as you’d like until you get things perfect. Don’t you feel kind of lucky? I know I do!

6.Conquer Position

Going broader now, we dive into composition. This is a huge topic that is all about how the various visual bits and pieces in a scene have been organized. It’s broader than perspective, and encompasses things like light, lines, shapes, forms, colors, frames, textures, patterns, movement, reflections and more.

You may have heard of the “rules” of composition: The Rule of Thirds, Negative Space, Balance or Visual Paths. Rules sound scary, and boring, and the idea that you have to sit down and memorize them before you’re allowed to be a photographer likely prevents many shooters from really diving into the wonderful world of composition.

But I’m here to tell you that the “rules” aren’t actually rules. They’re more like guidelines. These are ways to arrange elements in your frame that help tell a story, convey an emotion, or catch your viewers’ attention. All fun things, and all very essential things if you want to be a great photographer.

For instance, that “Rule of Thirds” you always hear about it. Well, it suggests that by placing your subject along one of these magical thirds lines, or at an intersection of the lines (what I like to call an Awesome Spot), you will automatically give that element a boost of importance in your frame. And that’s a great thing to know, because it can help you direct your viewer to look where you want them to!

But, if you’re feeling feisty, you could intentionally break that rule (gasp!), and put your subject absolutely dead center. Perhaps you want to highlight the symmetry of your subject. Perhaps it’s a very serious looking object, and putting it dead center enhances that feeling. Or perhaps it’s something totally goofy, and a boring centered composition creates some tension between the two.

It’s up to you, master photographer. When you know about composition, you get to make all sorts of fun choices like this with each and every image you take.

5.Get to Know Perspective

This is perhaps one of the most under-appreciated topics in photography. Put very simply, perspective has to do with the spatial relationships between objects in your frame – their sizes, their placements, and the space between them. All of this positioning works to change the way your viewer interprets the scene. It might make things look more 3D, giving the photo a sense of depth, or it might flatten everything out.

So why is this obviously important topic not widely discussed? Because it’s complicated! Or at least it can be at first glance.

Let’s start simply. Where you position yourself when you take a photo is a hugely important decision. It is what determines your perspective. And changing your perspective can take your photo from bland to totally engaging.

Getting to know perspective requires a lot of practice and experimentation. And moving those little feet of yours! Crouch, lie down, stand on a ladder, stand on a building, take a step forward, take a step to the left. These things change your perspective and make major impacts on the look and feel of your photos. Experiment. Take shots each time you change your perspective, and then compare them afterward. How does it change the image?

Now what about focal length? Does that change perspective? Technically no. That’s changing the angle of view (that is, the angle of the scene that your camera captures). Wide angle lenses capture a wider amount of the scene. Telephoto lenses capture a narrower amount of scene. Alone changing your lens doesn’t change perspective (though it may appear to). It’s when you combine a lens change with a position change that your perspective changes.

Perspective gets a lot more complex, and there are different ways to use it to achieve your goals with your shot. We’ll be writing more on this topic in the future, but if you want to dig into it right now, this article about perspective, from (believe it or not) a NAVY training course, is helpful!