Top tips for you and your camera
# 2 - IMPROVE YOUR IMAGES
We all need a bit of inspiration at times. I often ask my photography buddies to set me a challenge - that way I keep stretching my ideas and step outside of my comfort zone. Here are some to get you going:
- Read your camera manual and try out one of the special features. Each camera has its own special talents and you need to find what yours is. Sometimes you might need inspiration on using this feature - to do this you can buy a book covering the topic, find a lesson online, or book me for an hour to go through it with you.
- Get online and take a look at what other photographers are doing - this might spark your ideas, interest or enthusiasm. There are many sites that can help you with this: Flickr, deviantART, Zoomr, Fotki, Shutterfly, SmugMug, PhotoBucket and photo.net. Also there are forums where you can discuss issues and ideas and they sometimes set challenges - I quite like Talk Photography.
- The key to improving your images is getting to know your camera. Get to know what it does best and what is struggles with. The only way to do that is to carry it with you all the time and practice, play and enjoy. Set some time aside to download and review your images. Keep them all - take the good along with the bad because all the images you take help you get to a point of improving your techniques and capturing better images.
- Share your passion - organise to go out with fellow photographers on adventures. Day trips out will give you all the chance to look at the same thing in different ways. Then review all your images and compare and contrast. Learn from your friends on how and why they did what they did. I have a group I travel to Churches and Cathedrals with - we love the iconography and the peace and quiet and also this cannot be spoilt by the weather. We have learnt so much from each other.
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| Chester Cathedral Stained Glass Window |
Hope this has given you some ideas.
Next top tip - 'composition' - next week.
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