By: Donovan Tompkins
Last week we touched on photography ideas, and this week we’re going to stay on the same subject but on to photography tips and tactics!
Most likely you all are taking pictures outside, and not in a controlled environment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t control how your photos will come out! Probably the biggest tip all photographers will give you is to avoid uneven lighting on a subject. A well-known tip is to hit golden hour; about an hour before, and half an hour after sunset. In this time period lighting is fairly soft which allows you to avoid shadows or if there are shadows, they aren’t as harsh as other times of the day.
Another tip is to watch for reflections. Reflections on car windows, tall buildings, or sunglasses can sometimes be distracting. Shift around a little bit to see if you can avoid an unwanted reflection like a sun glare (or if you want to be creative, use the sun glare to your advantage). If you are taking a close up portrait and the subject has glasses on, be aware that it can sometimes be a little funny seeing the person taking the picture in the reflection of the glasses!
My last great tip which is one that I think gets overlooked constantly, is move up and down. Changing the height perspective in a picture can really change the tone for the image as a whole, but also the subject. Along with moving the photographer up and down you can also move the subject up and down, possibly on a nearby staircase or a ledge.
Just a few good tips for when you want to pull your camera out, enjoy!
