In today’s society, becoming a mediocre photographer is actually quite simple. Given our technology and access to photo editing nearly anyone can take a good picture with the click of a button. But, if you are someone with a genuine interest in photography and capturing life’s moments, you should be desiring to learn and rise above that mediocre state. That is why I am here, I understand the struggle of trying to make your work unique when competing with everybody and their brother who has a phone with a nice camera, especially if you are just a mobile device photographer. Hopefully, after reading my five tips, you will be on your way to making your work shine above the rest.
· BE CREATIVE! While it is true that almost everybody has access to a good camera nowadays one thing not everyone has is a creative mind. Chances are if you have taken a liking to photography you too possess this creative mindset. True photography is more than pointing a camera and clicking the shutter button. Try a new perspective: under, along-side, directly above, it is always nice to see something new for a change once in a while. Maybe even try to focus on one part of an object instead of the whole form such as a button instead of the whole shirt, the knob instead of the whole water faucet, the nose instead of the whole dog. There are endless possibilities for a creative mind; you just need to dig deep enough!
· LEARN YOUR CAMERA! Okay, I know most of you reading this are probably mobile photographers meaning you use your phone or mobile device rather than a professional camera… and I don’t blame you! But, if you do own a professional camera, it is important to be able to navigate around its different settings. Stuck? YouTube it. You can learn so much, just type in your camera’s brand and model and you should be able to find a few different options. Even if you are a mobile photographer there is still more tips and tricks to learn. There is a ton of videos and articles on mobile photography that give helpful steps to learning your mobile device’s camera
· LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Lighting is a pretty important factor in photography; it can make or break you. Natural lighting is best, but sometimes you just don’t have that option. Always try to have adequate natural lighting for a staged picture (i.e. coffee shop pictures, still life, food photography). Be sure to also watch for shadows caused by your items or camera. If you are trying outdoor photography, keep in mind that morning and evening sunlight are the best because they are not as harsh as mid-day sun.
· COLORS! You want your picture to catch someone’s eye. You want it to make someone stop to look at it rather than keep scrolling through their feed. Unless you are purposefully wanting a desaturated or dreary picture, make sure your colors pop! People love color contrast so keep in mind that not everything in your photo should be popping, just your key items and focal points.
· A GOOD EDITING PROGRAM! I know what some of you are probably thinking, “Isn’t that cheating?” I used to ask the same thing. I would find pride in the fact that none of my pictures were edited or filtered. And that’s great but people don’t find them interesting unless it is just a spectacularly light and captured photo. Recently I scrolled to the bottom of my Instagram feed and found those old posts in which I refused to edit; let me tell you, I deleted them awfully quick. I was almost ashamed to look at them because they appeared so mediocre; now, yes, some of that did have to do with the fact that I was not half the photographer I am now but you get the point. I would say over 80% of photos on the internet today have some sort of editing done to them whether it be brightness, contrast, or some other form of change. Next to creativity, your editing skills are probably your most important tool in marketing today. So far, the best mobile editing app that I have found is Snapseed. Photoshop, however, is definitely the top editing program for serious photographers.
I hope that if you are a beginner photographer or just an everyday person with a social media account, that these tips will help you “up your game” in the world of photos. It is so simple to become a “photographer” in today’s society, but that does not mean your photos have to be like the rest of them. If you're reading this it means you actually scrolled through the whole article and kudos to you!! If I could reward you I totally would. Any questions, comments, complaints, or concerns (though go easy on the complaints;) feel free to email me. Plus I could always use topics for my next articles so if you have an idea shoot it my way!
