Following a few tips can help make your photos shine.
When you have booked the perfect getaway, you likely want to make sure every moment counts by capturing as much as you can. But you might not know how to capture these moments if you are not a photographer. Luckily, following a few tips can help make your photos shine.
Use the right camera
While you can get good snaps from a phone camera, nothing beats the quality of a real camera with a lens. Many photographers use DSLR cameras and swap out the lenses depending on what the situation requires. Even though they can be pricy, they will help you get that photo you have been dreaming about. One option is to consider getting a personal loan. They can be used to pay for purchases and help you meet your goals without the need to use your own savings. There are a few things that are helpful to know before getting one, so you can review a guide with more information.
Shoot at the right time of day
Photographers know that lighting is one of the most common travel photography tips and can make or break the photo, so it’s important to work with the light, not against it. You may have heard about the golden hour in photography, which is the last 30 to 60 minutes before sunset, when the sinking sunbathes everything in a warmer light than the harsh light of midday. The sky still tends to have a deep blue glow even after the sun has sunk below the horizon, and this is also an excellent time to capture your photos. Midday is a better time to scout out possible locations, keeping in mind where the light will be coming from at sunset. You can also get photos of the interior of buildings or do street photos.
Plan ahead of time
Before arriving at your destination, it’s a good idea to come up with a shot list so you are ready to start shooting right away. You can look at magazines, travel guides, and social media accounts for inspiration. Note the photos that stand out to you so you can get something similar. Having a list of shots will give you more direction so you can make the best use of your time on your trip. This will also help you plan each stop along the way.
Teach yourself about composition
Proper composition can be the difference between an okay photo and a stunning one. There are many rules that can make your photo look nicer, but one of the simplest is the rule of thirds, which essentially means that areas of interest should be along the intersections and lines if you were to put a 3×3 grid over the image. This leads to a better composition than simply placing the subject in the middle of the screen.
Shoot in manual
Shooting in manual forces you to get to know your settings and see how light works. It does take more time to learn how to use manual, but knowing how to set the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture are all valuable pieces of knowledge every photographer needs to have. As you first learn about each setting, you can use shutter speed or aperture priority modes, which allow you to control that setting. The camera then adjusts the other two so your photo doesn’t end up over or under exposed. These modes can help you bridge the gap between auto and manual settings.
Shoot in raw
When you take a picture, the camera’s chip converts the image to either JPEG or RAW formatting. JPEG locks in all the information in the photo, including the white balance. However, the RAW format keeps all the data, which will give you additional possibilities when it comes to editing later. Know that RAW file sizes tend to be about twice as large as JPEG images, so you will need to have enough storage on hand, so you don’t have to start deleting images in the middle of your trip.
