8 Photography Tips to Step Up Your Game

Photography Tips

There are some moments in life when you just feel uninspired and feel that you might have lost your creative touch. This is quite common with artists, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re done and dusted. Photographer Bob Holmes, who has over 40 years of experience, shares some tips and tricks that will up your photography game:

1. Look for Lines

While composing your shots, try to arrange your elements in lines. Lines draw the viewer’s attention, and you can use the power or lines to drive the viewer’s eyes through the various elements in the photo. Diagonal lines give a feeling of energy. Use them to add more vitality to your photography. Horizontal lines, on the other hand, are more calm. Decide what you want to project and use lines accordingly.

2. Use Gesture

There are certain elements to a photograph that can make it stand out from a simple snapshot. One of such things is a gesture. Pay attention to the subject’s gesture, how the subject is reacting, and how their hands and feet are placed or what kind of expression they give. A gesture can make or break a photo.

3. Add Punctuation

Punctuation is an element in the photograph that stands out from the rest of the things within the frame. It’s an element with the ability to bring the photo to life. Punctuation in a photo could be anything like a splash of color, a person, light, or an animal. It just has to be something different from the rest.

4. Show Movement

Photographs should have the ability to make viewers feel the energy. They should be compelling and attract viewers to the photograph. One way to do that can be by showing movement in the photograph. This can be done by shooting at a slower shutter speed and holding the camera very still while letting the subject move, but not so much that the subject becomes unreadable. Be sure to tuck your elbows close to your body while shooting at slow shutter speeds.

5. Be Receptive

There can sometimes be moments as a photographer when you set out for a shoot having no clue what to photograph. In such circumstances, let the image find you. Wait for the image to impress you and then take it. For this you need to let your mind be receptive and be aware of things that are going around you.

6. Look at Visual Media

Look at other visual mediums and see what you respond to. Whenever you’re looking at anything, do it consciously. Try to understand what you like about what you have seen. Think about why would you want to photograph what you have seen and how you would want to compose the shot to tell a story. When you are conscious, you will eventually understand what it is that excites you.

7. Look at Photography Books

If you feel lost and drained of all your creativity, go through photography books by successful photographers. Their work can give you better ideas, inspire you, and rejuvenate your thirst for photography.

8. Learn to See

One of the most important tips to be better at photography is to learn to see. Don’t just look; see. See how you can arrange your visual elements, see how the subjects react, see what is happening around you. By paying attention you can end up with a better shot.

So the next time you feel that your creative juices aren’t flowing well, try out these simple tips and see if you can overcome the void.