Photography is a fun, and rewarding experience for anyone at any age and learning how to take better photos can be done for professional or casual reasons. Whether you need to know how to take a better photo for a wedding, social gathering, or random animal, we’ve got some great ideas for you. Here are tips for taking better photographs to make the photography journey easier.

Start Taking Better Photos

1. Learn the Camera
2. Have a Goal in Mind
3. Always Consider Lighting
4. Look for Unique Angles
5. Take All the Pressure Off

Tip for Taking Better Photos #1: Learn the Camera

Knowing the camera is often an overlooked aspect to beginners in photography, and it’s one of the first tips for better photos. The camera is the single most-used tool in photography, why not learn the ins and outs of it? The manual is perfect for starting the journey and never reusing a camera’s Auto Exposure.

For most DSLR and film cameras purchased these days, there is a manual that houses every detail about how that camera works and functions. Camera companies also have manuals on their websites online. The menu systems and layouts are different in all cameras, so this is an essential navigational tool to learn for taking better photos. In fast-paced situations, thumbing through the menu system to figure out how to change something isn’t ideal. Knowing the complete manual isn’t crucial, but the basics of the camera are. Most cameras have functions and abilities that often get unused because the photographers don’t know they exist. Dials, knobs, and buttons do certain things on individual cameras that aren’t universal across photography. These may modify aperture, exposure, ISO, and a handful of other fundamental photographic elements that can break an image if not considered.

The functionalities within the camera that pertain to specific instances of photography are also important. For example, capturing wildlife is more pleasant when using the auto-focus capabilities within a camera. Not knowing how to modify the basic AF settings within a camera may result in soft images. For advancing photography skills, especially with digital photography, diving into the camera’s manual and knowing the camera is one of the first places to begin taking better photos.

Tip for Taking Better Photos #2: Have a Goal in Mind

When learning how to take better photos, knowing that the ability to shoot freely and for pure fun is why photography is a fantastic art form and a creative tool is critical. Yet, sometimes we don’t create beyond what we already know, making images seem similar and stagnant. Getting inspired by other photographs and imagery can invoke passion and creativity, fueling a photographic process that can often drive photographers away from their comfort zones and into new artistic territories. Even something a broad topic or genre can be of benefit to a photography session. Words like “warm”, “texture”, or even “landscape” will steer a photo session in a particular direction and stir creative ideas.

Try emulating a photograph or recreating a breathtaking photo from a social media site. Recreating an image exactly how it was photographed is impossible. Still, the journey along the way will provide insightful answers to many questions about how that image was made. As long as the resulting image is pure individuality and self-expression, the reference image is merely a tool. Visualizing and executing will become incredibly useful down the road heading into the more difficult photography niches (astrophotography, commercial, product, etc.). Going out to photograph with a vision or rough idea will help focus a shoot, creatively channel thoughts into imagery, and is ideal for taking better photos.

Tip for Taking Better Photos #3: Always Consider Lighting

Lighting plays a vital role in creating marvelous imagery and taking better photos. Great photographers know how to utilize and manipulate light to create. This skill comes with lots of practice and time behind the camera. Light will dictate a variety of things in a photo session. Portraits, for example, when shot on a bright and sunny day, will have harsh contrast from the sun unless taken with a diffuser or in the shade. This light is called “hard light.” Portraits taken on an overcast day will even light on the subject(s) and create “soft light.” Incorporating lighting into the pre-planning aspect of shooting is helpful in the execution aspect of taking better photos. Knowing the lighting conditions can also help to steer a shoot in a particular direction.

Tip for Taking Better Photos #4: Look for Unique Angles

Angles are everything in photography, and one of the most vital aspects to understand when learning how to take a better photo. Angles are what separate different photographers from the same subject. Only photographing a mountain from one angle will produce many similar images. Different angles create different feelings within frames. Most subjects, especially people, benefit from various angles and viewpoints. When taking better photos, try capturing five different and unique angles of the same subject. Simple subjects work best for this, such as a flower or a pet (if they are still enough!) Thinking of unique angles on basic subjects will immensely help in more stressful photographic situations in the future. Angles can be monumental when conveying stories or moods with imagery. Some DSLR cameras can process hundreds of shots a minute; think of all the possible angles that can be captured using that amount of ammunition.

Tip for Taking Better Photos #5: Take All the Pressure Off

Photography seems to be a part of everyone’s life with how accessible cameras have become. With this, the quality and quantity of content are continually increasing, making it important for people to learn how to take better photos. Because content is in high demand, breathtaking images are everywhere in the media. A constant feed of stunning photographs can be inspiring; however, this can become daunting for some photographers. When feeling discouraged about going out to shoot, try to keep things simple and seek inspiration. Grabbing the camera and snapping a few pictures in the backyard or of a pet may be enough to spark creativity and passion. Go to a favorite shooting spot or bring a camera out to dinner. The camera being there may be the catalyst needed for creating and visualizing. Situations like this may be the perfect time to ditch tip #2 altogether and alleviate any stress from the what, when, and hows of photography. Often stress disbands the creative process and may hinder a photographer’s ability to create better images. If feeling stressed when shooting, remember that the first photograph was taken almost two centuries ago. Trillions and trillions of images have been captured since then, and it’s all been done before.

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If you’re looking for more help learning how to take better photos, check out our photography courses and professional photography programs. We provide various materials that will help photographers at any level. You can also check out our ON1 RAW Photo editor to test your photo editing skills.

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