Article Surfing Archive

Just aim and shoot, right? Anyone that's interested in photography knows better than to think that taking pictures is just that simple. Sure, pointing your camera at something and taking a picture will certainly record an event, but if you really want photographs that are worth looking at year after year, you may be interested in some more advanced photography techniques. Well, whether you're just taking pictures on vacation and of your friends when they come over, or if you are looking to actually start making money from your photos, we have some great but simple photography techniques you can try.

The Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is one of those basic photography techniques that is typically applied to shots like landscapes or nature scenes, where it's easy to have a picture of just one element. If you've ever looked at that photo of a beautiful lake or sunset and thought that is just didn't quite capture the beauty of the scene the way you remember it, you may want to consider the Rule of Thirds. This is where there are three distinct layers or parts of your photo. For example, suppose you want to take a shot of that beautiful lake where you're staying on vacation. The blue water against the blue sky is going to make everything blend in. Applying professional photography techniques to this type of shot means waiting until sunset when the setting sun breaks up the lake against the sky. This is the Rule of Thirds - you have the sky, the sun, and the lake; three distinct parts.

This is also good for photographing something like autumn foliage. A jumble of color is not going to have much interest. Try to apply these photography techniques by adjusting your shot so that you have the sky above those trees and perhaps a field or hill below them. The Rule of Thirds gives you those three distinct parts, and makes those beautiful autumn leaves that much more outstanding.

Angles

Trying different angles is one of the most used photography techniques by professionals. Again, if you just point and shoot at your subject, then you have a photo of them that has not much interest or depth. You may document what you're shooting, but that's about it.

Applying photography techniques for angles means moving yourself and your camera around for unique and interesting shots. If you want to shoot a beautiful flower garden, try getting right down on the ground so they're in front of you, rather than just standing above them. To take a picture of your new motorcycle, try getting down on the ground and aiming above you so that it really captures the majesty of the bike. Play around a bit with angles when it comes to pictures of people as well; by being experimental and creative, you can come up with your own special photography techniques that are perfect for you, your subjects, and your photos.