How To Have Better Photography

For most photographers the most important factor in their photography is the sharp quality of their images. To get the very best quality we need to know which lenses to use and the best time to use they. There are several lenses on the market today that should become part of our every day tool.

Keep an eye on the weather
Weather conditions can play a big part in setting the mood of your shot. Rather than waiting for the bright light of the midday sun, a misty morning in a forest can be the perfect time of day for that mood-shot.

Standard lenses
These are the most common use on today market. A standard lens has a focal length between 40 mm and 60 mm, which can be used for all types of photography. It's the most flexible of all the lenses and should remain on the camera body at all times.

Take your time to set up the shot
Don't be afraid to take your time to set up your shot. Although it can get a bit frustrating if you have your loved ones tagging along and they're sitting and waiting impatiently for 20 minutes for you to take a single shot of a piece of driftwood on the beach!

Don't always choose brightly-colored subjects
Subjects with muted colors can sometimes produce excellent results. A field of wheat of similar yellow-brown color can produce striking results when accompanied by a low-sun and long shadows.

Movement diffusion
If you have a camera that allows you to shoot with a manual shutter speed - try slowing the speed and increasing the F-stop. Then move your camera when taking the shot. Some very effective arty-type images can be produced with blur effects.

Telephoto zoom lens
For any one interested in wildlife photography a telephoto lens should become your standard lens. With a focal length of between 60 mm and 300 mm, this is also a perfect lens for the sport enthusiast. The telephoto lens allows you to capture the far away object and can also be used for landscape images. You can use this lens for close-ups, but be careful with your composition. Large areas of the image will become blank and could destroy your picture.

When using a telephoto lens always make sure that you have the camera supported with a tripod. If you cant use a tripod try using a beanbag - rest the lens on the bag when taking your images.

Overexpose your subject
Not too good to do all the time, but experiment with results by over-exposing the subject.

Macro lens
This is perfect for ultra close-ups shots with an average focal length of 100 mm. If you are looking to take images of small objects, such as: flowers or insects, a macro lens should become part of your camera bag. A macro lens will also allow you to take unique abstract images. By using a wide aperture with a macro lens on natural shapes can create the perfect abstract image. Be careful with focusing when using a macro lens, it is tough on a good day and can be impossible if the weather is windy.

Shoot through wet glass
Try spraying water onto a window, then take a shot through the window to a subject outside. (wet the outside of the window - not the inside of your home!)

Color balance
Try balancing color by having subject and the surrounding detail in similar colors.

Silhouettes
Silhouettes usually have a small range of colors, but can produce some of the most beautiful images. Shooting a silhouette involves having the background brighter then the subject in the foreground.

Experiment with patterns
We've all seen those amazing images of the red and orange leaves of maple trees in the fall/autumn. Thousands of leaves - all of a similar shape and color - but very awe-inspiring and beautiful.

Compliment colors
Two strikingly-different colors can be beautiful too. Picture an image of your girlfriend or wife in a red dress sitting on a field of green grass. Or your boyfriend or husband in a red shirt walking through a field of waist-high wheat stalks. Complimentary colors that will bring more attention to the subject.

Wide-angle lens
This is the choice of most landscape photographers. They allow you to include as much of the scene as possible when you look in your viewfinder with a wide focal length of 17 mm to 40mm. The wider the lens you use, the closer you need to be to an object of foreground interest, to add impact to your photography. Ultra wide-angle lenses have a focal length of 8 mm to 28 mm.

Use a color filter
If your camera can be fitted with colored filters - try your hand. Although this effect can be made quite easily these days with photo and image-editing software.

Sunrise is better than sunset
Wake up before sunrise one day and go on a photography expedition. If you've not done it before you'll be pleasantly-surprised by the contrasting light and shadows. But remember you'll only have a very short window of time in which to shoot (usually less than an hour) before the sun rises too high and you lose the light.

Use a flash in daylight
Use your flash during the daytime to fill a close subject with light. This will produce better results where the background is brighter than your subject and the automatic shutter speed on your camera shoots too fast to effectively show the detail of your subject.