What was the best piece of advice or tip given to you about photography?
Written, spoken, shown?
Please post yours below
I read mine from an article from the DPS: which was to leave your camera behind sometimes! (which is wierd, I am aware of that)
In essence the article highlighted the need to be aware of your surrounding environment.
Great idea for a thread. I had one teacher tell me: decide what it is that you really love about the object/subject and capture that. I always think about then when deciding how much to zoom in..am I getting more of what I love..or leaving something important out about what I love. It's hard to get that right.
@icywarm haha love it! @sempynz been there done that. Took so many photos in Haifa when I was there that I don't really remember eating at all o.O I also picked up the name "crazy photograph lady" hmmmm.
Best tip I ever learned was shoot with the lowest ISO possible.
I think it was when I learned I could choose the focal point rather than let the camera do it for me. I couldn't figure out why my girls bangs would be in focus but not their eyes, or why the camera would always try to focus on the closest object...now I can focus where I want. You'd have to check your camera manual to find out how for your camera.
So many great tips to choose from! But the one I keep in mind for almost every photo I take is, be aware of your background. The background can either make, or break your photo. Watch for things like garbage, ugly light/power poles, unnatural objects in a natural setting and any other distractions. When you're framing up your photo and you see any of these, try changing positions, focal length, or even aperture to hide them. For photos with a low depth of field, you can create some stunning background by using fabric (blankets, sheets, etc).
"Let your photos speak for themselves. Don't go overboard with photoshop. If you need it to make your photos look great, then you really aren't good at your craft."
To read......Bryan Peterson (lots on exposure - Understanding Exposure and about 20 other great books), Scott Kelby (great for editing - Photoshop books), Michael Freeman (great for compositions - The Photographer's Eye), Joe McNally (great for lighting and to be in awe of the amazing things/people he has gotten to photograph in his life (The Moment it clicks and many others). I have read a few other random good ones, but they are the main guys to start off with.
And of course........ONLY SHOW PEOPLE YOUR BEST COUPLE FROM EVERY SET. For example if you took a 100, narrow it down to 20.....show a friend, spouse etc....then narrow it down to 10. From those 10, find a couple that evoke the response "wow". Those will be the ones to edit, post, print, show and share. That was from one of the authors I mentioned above but it is so true. One of them said they might go on a shoot and take hundreds of pictures only to keep 2-3 that will be printed and given to an editor for a magazine. I have found that to work with my family and friends. They think I am much better than I really am because they don't see the hundreds that I screwed up!! ;-)
@moonpig GREAT one! I sometimes know why I like what I shoot, but until reading your post I was never conscious of trying to get that in itself to come through the lens. Well put.
Neat thread! I recently watched a special on the National Geographic photographers and my key takeaway was "a good picture must say something - about life, about the human condition, about the planet..."
Someone told me that a good photo should be more than face value. In other words, the viewer should guess or think about the photo. I try to take and then select photos that have something deeper in them.
F8 and be there. (Original full saying is F8, Tri-X, and be there, but obviously that applies to only film) I think it's an old photojournalism adage.
Personally, for me, the best advice ever. I don't waste time fiddling with settings, manual stuff, etc... instead, I'm getting the shot. Too many people get caught up on what settings they should be using instead of just going out and being there and shooting.
@mattyb GOOD ONE! I see people do this all the time on Facebook. If people would narrow their uploads to the handful of really good ones they would look brilliant, but they upload the handful of really good ones and 4 dozen ok ones. Which just makes them look like they got lucky a few times.
For me it's going to be : Use a light hand with editing. I run everything through PS because I shoot RAW and I like to be able to fine tune everything, BUT there is such thing as too much.
@mattyb This is a good one. I have a lot of friends that are into photography, and they just upload upload upload everything they ever shoot, and it's honestly just ANNOYING. I personally post the only ones that my husband goes "oh wow" to lol. He is my best audience. When he says "that's different" I know NOT to post.
Mine was to take pictures in my own style and to not try to mimic or imitate anyone else's styles or subjects. Find your own unique style.
And sometimes the best post processing is no processing.
With portraits and shallow DOF, most people aim to get the eyes (or the nearest eye) in focus. The best tip I was ever given about this kind of photography is that such a premise is wrong. Get the eyelashes in focus instead. If the eyelashes are in focus, the eye will seem in focus. If the eyelashes are out of focus, the image looks soft. Of course, if you're shooting with DOF that shallow, you may want to rethink your settings slightly (stop that aperture down just a touch).
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Best tip I ever learned was shoot with the lowest ISO possible.
One I'm still working at is 'focus' of the image.
Some great tips so far, keep it up everyone!
And of course........ONLY SHOW PEOPLE YOUR BEST COUPLE FROM EVERY SET. For example if you took a 100, narrow it down to 20.....show a friend, spouse etc....then narrow it down to 10. From those 10, find a couple that evoke the response "wow". Those will be the ones to edit, post, print, show and share. That was from one of the authors I mentioned above but it is so true. One of them said they might go on a shoot and take hundreds of pictures only to keep 2-3 that will be printed and given to an editor for a magazine. I have found that to work with my family and friends. They think I am much better than I really am because they don't see the hundreds that I screwed up!! ;-)
Personally, for me, the best advice ever. I don't waste time fiddling with settings, manual stuff, etc... instead, I'm getting the shot. Too many people get caught up on what settings they should be using instead of just going out and being there and shooting.
:)
For me it's going to be : Use a light hand with editing. I run everything through PS because I shoot RAW and I like to be able to fine tune everything, BUT there is such thing as too much.
Mine was to take pictures in my own style and to not try to mimic or imitate anyone else's styles or subjects. Find your own unique style.
And sometimes the best post processing is no processing.
--Robert Capa