1. Know your subject better.
When someone hires you to take pictures for his or her event, it is wise to get to know them better. By knowing your client, you would know what sort of pictures he would and would not like. When you are able to learn more about your subject, you would have more chances of taking pictures that would reflect your client’s personality.
2. Shooting subjects with long noses.
When your subject has a long nose, it can become a distraction once the photo is taken. To make sure that this is not the case, what you can do is to shoot the subject head on. Aside from that, it would also be wise to have his chin slightly up. In doing it this way, the person viewing the photo would not even notice the long nose.
3. Know your camera well.
It is always best that you know how to set your camera properly, in accordance to its surroundings. However, this may not be enough, since you may be asked by your client to take pictures in different places in the venue, which requires different effects. Thus, apart from knowing the settings of your gear, you should also have the ability to switch them quickly.
4. Check out the poses before taking the shot.
Before taking pictures of your model, try to use your imagination when it comes to the poses you want him or her to do. Aside from that, you should also think of ways of how your model can do it. Once you have thought of the poses, let your model execute them the way you want it to be done, and try out some new things.
Product photography tips
5. How to minimize reflections from glasses.
When you shoot subjects that wear glasses, there is a possibility of glare on the glasses. Having glare on the glasses is not a good sight to see. To get around it though, all you need to do is to invest on a good polarizer. When you put on the polarizer, it would greatly solve your problem.
6. Don’t be too reliant on your DSLR.
It is true that having a DSLR would provide you better picture quality than your point and shoot gear. However, it is not a good reason to miss out on a great moment that is worth capturing, just because you were not able to bring it with you. If you feel that a moment that you should capture is about to unfold, you should click away with whatever you have.
7. Don’t forget to come up with a list.
When you are about to leave your place to perform a shoot, it is always better to have a list of what you need to bring. Aside from the things to bring, the list should also indicate certain processes you need to do prior to leaving. Some of which would include charging the batteries, testing your camera, transferring the pictures to your PC to empty your memory card, and so on.
8. Shoot with other photographers.
It is always best to shoot with other photographers, especially with those that are more experienced than you are. This way, you get to learn lots of things from them, such as their techniques, their equipment, their style, and a lot more. Aside from that, you can also make new friends. Doing this would certainly offer you an opportunity to learn lots of new things.
9. Think first and slow down.
There are times when it is better to slow down taking pictures and think. This would provide you a way to listen to yourself. By doing that, you can come up with brighter ideas, better poses, better angles, and a lot more. Thus, before you press on your shutter, try to think about the image you are capturing first.
10. How not to forget client’s name.
You could become quite uncomfortable when you are talking with a client, while taking his pictures, and you forgot his name. One of the ways to prevent that is to write down his name on a sticky note, and let it stick at the back of your camera. Make sure to make the note small enough for him not to notice it.
11. Taking a picture of a person with deep set eyes.
When you take portraits, you may eventually come across a client who has deep set eyes. When you take his picture, you would realize that it can cause deep shadows to appear on his eyes. To get around that, all you actually have to do is to lower your source of light a little. By doing that, you can ensure that the light can reach the space under his brow.
12. Hiding wrinkles.
If your client has wrinkles and you want to impress him by coming up with pictures that do not show them, then what you can do is to use a larger type of light source. This can make the pictures soft, especially if you bring the light closer. Aside from that, you can also use more frontal light, instead of side light.
13. Choosing a model.
Choosing a model should be done carefully, especially if you are trying to come up with pictures for a commercial. In most cases, people would prefer ladies who look really hot. However, you should also make sure that you are choosing someone who is approachable and friendly. By doing this, you can ensure that you would be able to work with her easily.
14. Take pictures.
If you consider yourself as a beginner in this field, you should not be afraid in taking more and more pictures. You can now purchase a memory card that can provide you with lots of space for your pictures. Thus, you should shoot as many times as possible, for the more times you do it, the better it would be for you when it comes to learning.
15. Emphasize your subject.
When you take a picture, you should emphasize your subject as much as possible. When you check the frame, your subject should not appear small in it. Make use of your camera’s zoom, or move closer to the subject, so that you can fill the frame with her. When you do that, you should also try to come up with ways to emphasize her desirable features.
16. Preview your shots.
To ensure that you have the right exposure in taking the shots, you should learn how to preview them properly. When you are taking pictures under the bright sun, it can become tricky because of the light. Thus, you should find shade, so that you would be able to see it clearly.
17. Don’t focus too much on the mega pixels.
When you listen to people in trying to shop for digital cameras, you could often hear them asking about the mega pixels of the products, and would even go for those with larger ones. You should not focus too much on this, since larger mega pixels simple means it gives you a way to print pictures larger without affecting their quality. Unless you are selling poster sized prints, you won’t have to get the camera with the largest mega pixels.
18. Spare battery.
It is always best to carry a number of extra batteries on your bag when you are shooting pictures. This is because, you would never know when a great moment could happen; and, running out on battery juice can make you miss it. Charge all your extra batteries and bring them, so that you won’t have to miss out on great shots.
19. Learn more tricks from others.
Learning is something that you need to do when it comes to photography, even if you have been with it for a number of years. Thus, it is always best to be open about new techniques, new methods, and such. Keep in mind that even the best photographers learn from each other; thus, it is also best for you if you do so.
20. Take a photography course.
As a beginner inphotography, you need to find ways to learn more about it. One of which is to take a photography course right at your own place. By going through a course, you would be able to gather more information about the subject. Aside from that, you may even be taught about certain techniques that other beginners did not have the benefit to learn about.
