All photographers, whether they are amateurs or professionals, constantly work on their skills so that they can capture that perfect shot when it comes to them. Here are some tricks the professionals use to improve their skills and get those shots we all admire:
- Frame your subject. If the subject of your shot can be lost in a sea of detail or is simply crowded, one way to draw the viewer’s eye to your subject is to frame it. Use an archway, doorway, or window to frame your subject and draw attention to it naturally.
- Shape your shot with light. For standard pictures you might find on Facebook or on someone’s business page, you always want your light source behind you. For more artistic and interesting shots, try to put the light source behind the subject, or off to the side. This will allow you to shape the subject and the shot with the lighting.
- Use watermarks. This will keep other photographers from stealing your photos. If you can avoid using watermarks, do it, but you should be aware that plagiarism does happen, and adding a small watermark to your shots will avoid people taking credit for your work. You could also avoid publishing your photos on the Internet.
Spencer Niles is a freelance photojournalist with twenty years of experience taking pictures for a living. Niles started as a wedding photographer and now travels the world getting his unique shots. Niles hopes he can continue taking picture professionally for another twenty years.
