How many pictures do you usually bring from vacation? 20, 50, 100, 200? And how many of them are pleasant to review later? A few! In our article, we shared professional secrets that will help you take quality photos.
1. Consider your idea
I don’t mind template photos, but I don’t support the idea of taking meaningless photos. Should you want a photo as if you were saving the Tower of Pisa from falling or holding the sun in the palm of your hand – that’s your right. But thoughtlessly “snap” every step you take is a waste of your precious vacation time. In any photo, there should be an interesting story or staged idea.
Even trivial photos can always use a personal touch. If it’s a photo from an airplane to tell everyone that you’re going away, I’d look for an unusual angle or take a funny selfie with a neighbor I see for the first time.
If it’s just a selfie, then let it have an idea: a short story about its creation or an unusual situation in the background. And of course, it will never be superfluous to get inspiration from photographers or bloggers you like.
2. Tell a story
It is very important to put some sense into any of your frames. Images that can be captioned as “it’s just beautiful” should be a minimum number, and “classic” views and attractions will be enough a couple of dozens. You should not shoot the same building from the same perspective hundreds of times. Change them. In the end, it would be good to think over the question: “Why am I filming this?” “Catch” in the frame an unusual-looking person: it is unlikely that they walk in front of you for the second time in the same place.
I think that every traveler who wants to bring photos from a trip should use them to tell stories, for example, about the country they were in or specifically about their journey and their perception.
3. Examine the manual
Whether you shoot a moving or a static object, you need to understand that the lighting must be very good; otherwise the object in the photo will be out of focus.
In order to take dynamic pictures in motion, you need to study the instructions for your camera. When shooting a moving object, the photographer and the object should move at the same speed, and it is important to set the shutter speed on the camera to a low value.
Plus, different additional devices, such as removable lenses for your phone camera, can significantly transform your photo. Use a wide-angle lens to cover more space. When getting closer to the object, use the maximum focal length. This will create a perspective effect, fill the space, and present the object in an unusual way.
For those who shoot with digital SLRs, I suggest you try 16-35 mm lenses.
4. Select the correct angle
If you really want to be photographed against the background of the attraction, choose either a full-height perspective or a portrait, depending on the distance of the attraction. If it is far and fits perfectly into the frame, then I would not shoot a person in full height.
Try to shoot from unusual angles. Even an ordinary view can be transformed by looking at it from another unexpected perspective. First, try to shoot something from above or, on the contrary, from below, right from the ground. This will give you an idea of new angles.
5. Edit photos with care
Photos that are too shaded may look unattractive. When using filters, be as conservative as possible: keep a close eye on which filters to apply and to what extent. Don’t change the original look of the photo. It is better to make imperceptible corrections and preserve the natural image.
However, don’t be afraid to use third-party applications to create the effect you want. You can process your mobile photo directly in VSCO. If you need a shutter speed effect, use the shutter delay setting. This way you can blur the waves or other moving environments. This is especially effective if you shoot large water surfaces or waterfalls. This way, you can highlight the contrast between a blurred water surface and the clear contours of the surrounding landscape.
If you are afraid that a series of photos from a certain place will be lost, you can make a slideshow. Many online tools provide this possibility, one of them is here.
6. Look for associations to convey the atmosphere
The task of conveying the atmosphere is quite difficult even for a professional. Sometimes you can play with small details. Take pictures of people and animals, look at the local market, or take a walk through the tourist places. Remember that each country is usually associated with particular objects. What comes to your mind when you think about France? Probably, the Eiffel Tower, wine, coffee, and croissants. Use these beautiful templates in still lifes. Once in Montmartre, find the most colorful artist with a brush and in a beret. Although it will be quite standard, it will accurately convey the atmosphere.
7. Take group photos properly
The basic rule of a group photo – the light must be directed to the face of the people in the picture. That is, if you are photographed against the sunset, you need a flash, otherwise either all the figures will be dark, or you will not see the sunset.
Note that the camera lens on your phone does not absorb light in the same way as traditional cameras. This opens up great possibilities for experimenting with counter light or with light coming from above. If you move around your subject by looking at it through the viewfinder, you can see how the angle of light changes until the light rays hit the lens directly.
8. Replace a memorized smile
Each of us has our own funny grimaces. Look online for collages of celebrity grimaces, and you’ll see how different they all pose. If you clamp in front of a camera and don’t know at all how to behave and what to give away in the frame, except for the standard, learned smile, then practice in front of the mirror, and then in front of your phone.
To make good photos for Instagram, you should practice every day not only in technical nuances but also to create your own personal image.
