How do I capture great images?
This is a common question which many photographers may find it difficult to answer, including myself. This difficulty in crafting a comprehensive response may most likely stem from the fact that there are different ways of capturing an image and preferences vary among photographers and viewers. But there are some ways which personally, I find them to be very useful and that I will like to share with you.
1. Travel widely.
2. Capturing the beauty of images are appealing to novice photographers but doing so is not advisable as some beginners might feel discouraged after a few enthusiastic albeit failed attempts at capturing great photos. Instead, at the outset, try capturing photos of elements that attract you. It need not be beautiful but they should interest you in certain ways. From there, work towards getting the element and the angle that you want.
3. Look through magazines and newspapers (which is especially useful for those interested in photojournalism images) and understand what makes the photos work. If you have a group of friends, try creating regular discussions.
4. Try to capture images that tell a story. It might be a story that you want to tell, a story that others want to tell or even a story that happens out of nowhere which you find interesting. Let all if not most of your photos narrate a story.
5. Attend photography courses as often as you can as there are great insights to be learnt from the course trainers and instructors. Should "photo clinic" sessions (which refers to the photo discussion sessions between instructors and their students based on the photos taken by the students) be available during the course, attend these sessions.
6. Some basic concepts that beginners should learn include cropping techniques, ISO settings, aperture adjustments, shutter speed, white balance, brightness, contrast, levels control and the various camera modes available. You can begin from here.
7. Attend events and festivals. Most people usually do this but some overlook an important factor of photo-taking - the weather plays an important role as it affects the lighting condition of the photos. Try attending these events and festivals during the day and then during the night. Photography is basically a mastery of light and shadows, a dance between the day and the night. But of course, I am referring to outdoor photography. You can always opt for artificial lights using lighting strobes in an indoor studio.
8. Master the functions of at least one image-editing software. There are many online image-editing software available currently and I will recommend Pixlr as it contains many functions and features that help photographers in the post-production stage.
1. Travel widely.
2. Capturing the beauty of images are appealing to novice photographers but doing so is not advisable as some beginners might feel discouraged after a few enthusiastic albeit failed attempts at capturing great photos. Instead, at the outset, try capturing photos of elements that attract you. It need not be beautiful but they should interest you in certain ways. From there, work towards getting the element and the angle that you want.
3. Look through magazines and newspapers (which is especially useful for those interested in photojournalism images) and understand what makes the photos work. If you have a group of friends, try creating regular discussions.
4. Try to capture images that tell a story. It might be a story that you want to tell, a story that others want to tell or even a story that happens out of nowhere which you find interesting. Let all if not most of your photos narrate a story.
5. Attend photography courses as often as you can as there are great insights to be learnt from the course trainers and instructors. Should "photo clinic" sessions (which refers to the photo discussion sessions between instructors and their students based on the photos taken by the students) be available during the course, attend these sessions.
6. Some basic concepts that beginners should learn include cropping techniques, ISO settings, aperture adjustments, shutter speed, white balance, brightness, contrast, levels control and the various camera modes available. You can begin from here.
7. Attend events and festivals. Most people usually do this but some overlook an important factor of photo-taking - the weather plays an important role as it affects the lighting condition of the photos. Try attending these events and festivals during the day and then during the night. Photography is basically a mastery of light and shadows, a dance between the day and the night. But of course, I am referring to outdoor photography. You can always opt for artificial lights using lighting strobes in an indoor studio.
8. Master the functions of at least one image-editing software. There are many online image-editing software available currently and I will recommend Pixlr as it contains many functions and features that help photographers in the post-production stage.
What are some great photography(-related) websites?
With the emergence of the Internet, and coupled with the increase in popularity of photography (which is primarily due to advances in digital technology and the shift from analogue to digital), there are now numerous websites catering to photography enthusiasts at all levels from beginners to advanced learners, offering useful information from photography tips to price comparisons between cameras. More than that, there are also quite a number of websites that offer free image-editing services, which is essential for image editors and photographers who will like to have that professional touch to their photos. I have listed some of my favourite photography websites below. This list is not exhaustive but merely serves as a starting platform whereby you can continue to explore the world of photography online on your own. I believe your journey will be a fruitful and enriching one.
1.ClubSNAP Forum: This forum offers a wide spread of variety when it comes to photography, from photography-related news to photography discussions as well as display showcases of avid photographers, there will be a wide range of topics for you to explore and choose from. Much insights and lessons can be gleaned from just being here for a while. If you stay in this forum long enough, your photography skills will likely improve.
2. Deviantart.com: While this is not a photography website, much of my inspirations of photography are derived from the wonderful galleries and artistic drawings of this website. Contrary to many who believe that we learn photography from photography-related websites, I have the tendency to take the road less travelled by dabbling other websites on other related areas such as visual arts and exploring in other seemingly unrelated fields such as anime, manga, films and music. Somehow, these subject areas have provided me with much insights over the years. You can try exploring these interesting areas too.
3. RGBstock.com: There are many photography websites offering stock photos. While their range and quality differs, RGBstock.com provides a good range of photos for your consideration. Like most websites, you have to register in order to access the photos and the good news is that it is free. What's more, you can search on a wide range of topics and it seems that RGBstock.com caters to almost all of your search terms.
4. PIXLR.com: This website mentions that it is the most popular online photo editor in the world, with over one hundred and fifty thousand likes by Facebook members. This is not surprising as it has many online editing tools that are useful to photographers during the post-production stage, many more than most other existing online-editing websites. This is useful to you if you are the type of photographer who loves to image-edit all if not most of your photos after your photo-taking session - either to improve on them or to perfect them.
5.Weebly.com: Facebook may well be the popular and common platform that everybody uses to showcase their photos and that is all well and good. However, if you are into personal branding, you might like to consider having a website of your own. And from my years of experiences exploring interactive and innovative websites pertaining to photography and photo-imaging, Weebly.com is one of the best websites that provides useful and well-designed templates that enables photographers to showcase their portfolios in a visibly appealing way which - in a way - enhances your personal branding. This is important if you intend to go into business and create a business of your own as a professional photographer. What's more, Weebly.com has a very user-friendly user interface with "click-and-drag" features that will familiarise novices in no time at all.
6. Newseum.org: If you are someone exploring photojournalism, then this website will entice you. Photojournalists - with their emphasis on realism and life - often have their best works in newspapers, especially the front pages. Let Newseum.org introduce you to the first pages of over eight hundred newspapers from over eighty countries on a daily basis. You can view the "Top Ten" front page news, or choose to scroll through the papers and read the front pages in PDF form. Along the way, you can even learn some newspaper layout and design work!
7. Vimeo.com: Photography and videography are inextricably linked. Just think of movies - which are basically streams of image frames moving at high speed. Press the pause button and you get a film still. Vimeo.com has a wide database of great films made by visual artist that are not only beautiful to watch, but great works to draw inspirations from. Take for instance "Landscape: Volume Two" by Dustin Farrell. Explore Vimeo for a little longer, and you will see.
1.ClubSNAP Forum: This forum offers a wide spread of variety when it comes to photography, from photography-related news to photography discussions as well as display showcases of avid photographers, there will be a wide range of topics for you to explore and choose from. Much insights and lessons can be gleaned from just being here for a while. If you stay in this forum long enough, your photography skills will likely improve.
2. Deviantart.com: While this is not a photography website, much of my inspirations of photography are derived from the wonderful galleries and artistic drawings of this website. Contrary to many who believe that we learn photography from photography-related websites, I have the tendency to take the road less travelled by dabbling other websites on other related areas such as visual arts and exploring in other seemingly unrelated fields such as anime, manga, films and music. Somehow, these subject areas have provided me with much insights over the years. You can try exploring these interesting areas too.
3. RGBstock.com: There are many photography websites offering stock photos. While their range and quality differs, RGBstock.com provides a good range of photos for your consideration. Like most websites, you have to register in order to access the photos and the good news is that it is free. What's more, you can search on a wide range of topics and it seems that RGBstock.com caters to almost all of your search terms.
4. PIXLR.com: This website mentions that it is the most popular online photo editor in the world, with over one hundred and fifty thousand likes by Facebook members. This is not surprising as it has many online editing tools that are useful to photographers during the post-production stage, many more than most other existing online-editing websites. This is useful to you if you are the type of photographer who loves to image-edit all if not most of your photos after your photo-taking session - either to improve on them or to perfect them.
5.Weebly.com: Facebook may well be the popular and common platform that everybody uses to showcase their photos and that is all well and good. However, if you are into personal branding, you might like to consider having a website of your own. And from my years of experiences exploring interactive and innovative websites pertaining to photography and photo-imaging, Weebly.com is one of the best websites that provides useful and well-designed templates that enables photographers to showcase their portfolios in a visibly appealing way which - in a way - enhances your personal branding. This is important if you intend to go into business and create a business of your own as a professional photographer. What's more, Weebly.com has a very user-friendly user interface with "click-and-drag" features that will familiarise novices in no time at all.
6. Newseum.org: If you are someone exploring photojournalism, then this website will entice you. Photojournalists - with their emphasis on realism and life - often have their best works in newspapers, especially the front pages. Let Newseum.org introduce you to the first pages of over eight hundred newspapers from over eighty countries on a daily basis. You can view the "Top Ten" front page news, or choose to scroll through the papers and read the front pages in PDF form. Along the way, you can even learn some newspaper layout and design work!
7. Vimeo.com: Photography and videography are inextricably linked. Just think of movies - which are basically streams of image frames moving at high speed. Press the pause button and you get a film still. Vimeo.com has a wide database of great films made by visual artist that are not only beautiful to watch, but great works to draw inspirations from. Take for instance "Landscape: Volume Two" by Dustin Farrell. Explore Vimeo for a little longer, and you will see.