Digital Photography Tips

If you’re relatively new to photography you have undoubtedly had difficulties properly framing a photograph. This is not something that only happens to amateur photographers, it is a problem that all photographers face no matter of their experience levels. However, some elements of photographic framing become second nature to you after a while. Meaning as time goes on, framing your pictures properly becomes more and more easy.

The biggest mistake that first time photographers make is that they pay too much attention to the main subject of interest with little or no regard for the objects surrounding the primary object of focus. Photographers forget that photography is about story telling. It’s a visual language that should communicate ideas to people. This means, that like painters, photographers need to put great thought into composition and framing. However, unlike painters, photographers don’t have an endless amount of time to make decisions. As the direction and intensity of light changes, as people move, and expression change, so will your photograph. You need to think quickly and frame your photograph even quicker.

The two best tips to give amateur photographers is to firstly, pay special attention to all of the elements which make it into the 4 walls of your photograph and pay extra attention to the area around the 4 walls of your photograph. “Amputating” parts of objects with one of the walls of your photograph is a dead give away that you were not paying attention. Either an object makes it into your photograph or your reposition yourself to get rid of the object. Secondly, you need to find a way to place emphasis on your main object. However, this is much more complex than it sounds. Too many people just place their main object dead center and click. However, your main object doesn’t have to be center, or the biggest element in the photograph. You can use lines, shapes, colors, or contrast to draw attention to your main area of interest (All of these concepts are discussed more in our online photography school), but for now just practice using the rule of thirds and proper object organization to help better your photography framing.

Proper photography framing is not easy task. You can spend a lifetime experimenting with different framing techniques. Just enjoy yourself and have fun along the way.

If you are looking for a new way to boost your photography portfolio’s impressiveness you may want to consider looking into buying new lenses or filters. These add ons can range in price from $10 to thousands of dollars but there are a few “must have” add ons for your digital and film cameras.

While these are not necessary add ons to increase the quality of your work, if you’re getting bored of the current photographs you’re taking these camera add ons can create a dramatic difference and help re-inspire you to get out there and take photographs.

1. Polarizing filter: the polarizing filter is very cheap and can often be picked up for $10 - $30 for a starter filter. What the polarizing filter does is helps takes the glare out of non metal surfaces and it helps exaggerate the blue of a blue sky. You’ve often seen photographs that look absolutely spectacular with their fluffy white clouds and brilliant blue skies. This effect was created with a polarizing filter and no photographer should leave home without one.
2. Wide angle lens: this lens can often be purchased for digital cameras as an “accessory lens” which simple means that it isn’t a proper attachment in and of itself, but instead attaches onto a pre-existing lens to create a similar effect of a traditional wide angle lens. Alternatively if you have a digital SLR (DSLR) or a regular SLR (Single Lens Reflex) you can but high quality wide angle lenses that can help fit more of your foreground and background into your photographs.

The polarizing filter and the wide angle lens are two add ons that will inspire even the most burnt out photographers to keep taking new pictures on a daily basis. They are also to the two lenses that have dramatic effects while still ensuring the photograph remains “real” looking. Not only this but based on current rating systems on internet photography websites it seems that audiences rate photographs taking with cameras that use the polarizing filter or wide angle lens very highly.

The other day I was in a camera shop and overheard a customer talking with a store clerk about the differences between digital cameras and digital SLR cameras. I have both and use both for varying reasons. But it was nevertheless interesting to hear how store employees tried up-selling a digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera over a regular digital camera.

For starters, digital SLR cameras are really starting to become quite the rage. High quality, entry level cameras are now available for less than $1000 and include starter lenses so you can go out and start taking pictures right away.

Buying a new camera is a tough decision. Obviously price plays a big factor as does camera and picture quality.

If you are looking for a good quality SLR camera you can buy a non digital one used for less than $100. The quality will be fantastic but you’ll be shooting film (which is a wonderful world to discover). But you won’t have the obvious digital picture storage benefits of a digital camera. So SLR cameras with the ability to add and detach lenses (wide angle, telephoto etc) are possible on most SLR cameras.

Today, for about $600 and up you can get a digital SLR. The biggest benefit to a digital SLR over other digital cameras is the ability to add and detach lenses. You can buy or often even use lenses from regular SLR cameras. If you’ve been taking pictures for a long time you’ll start to want to experience with different lenses at some point. I remember using a wide-angle lens the first time and remembering how much it changed my perspective of the art. Shooting urban landscapes and nature landscapes became, one again, enjoyable for me and renewed my sense of passion for this art form.

The problem with regular digital cameras is they often don’t have the ability to attach lenses which means you’re stuck with whatever lens is on there. In the world of digital cameras retailers often try to sell their customers on “megapixels” alone. While megapixels can be important, they are far from the most important element of a digital camera. Manual control is much more important. From being able to set your own aperture settings, shutter speed settings and adding or removing lens attachments is much more important.

So here is what I would recommend. If you are just starting out with photography a regular digital camera would be great. You can take over 200 pictures per day and practice the basic rules of composition and framing. You can really focus on the art of photography. These camera’s cost anywhere from $100 - $400 for very powerful cameras with lots of manual control (with the exception of lens changing)

If you are more advanced and want to play with lenses you should consider getting a digital SLR. This will allow you to take many photographs and have the ability to have full manual control of both camera settings and lenses. The downside that these cameras start at about the $600 range, but quickly jump up to over $1000 for entry level cameras.

However, if you just want the manual benefits of the SLR, consider getting a used SLR for the price of a basic digital camera. You will get full manual control and you’ll be able to add lenses. If in the future you upgrade to a digital SLR you could possibly even use any lenses you buy for your regular SLR and use them on your new digital SLR!

I hope this helps with your future purchase decisions.