I’ve given you something to think about as far as photo software to try, and I will continue to recommend additional photo-related software, books, …etc. But for now, let’s get to some basic photography techniques. There are some things that are the same whether you are using a digital camera, or a traditional camera (ie: 35mm). They include, but are not limited to:
Composition, lighting, holding the camera, focusing, subject matter, eliminating unwanted backgrounds, …etc. Let’s take a look at some of the basics that you need to understand to take good photos, regardless of what type of camera you use. The first, and main thing, is the lighting of your subject.
There are different techniques for “controlling” lighting, depending on what you want the final product to be. If you are taking a picture of a person, for example, you want to try to avoid harsh shadows on their face (unless that is what you intend). If you are doing a landscape, however, you may want areas of deep shadow to accentuate another area of the photo.
By the way, there are also times of the day, when the lighting is better for taking pictures. These times are generally before 10:00a.m.and after 2:00 p.m. The reason for this is that the light is such that shadows (dark areas of the photo) are not too pronounced and highlights (light areas of the photo) are not too bright. Start to notice the difference between the lighting at these times and the light at noon, for instance.
Of course, the best time to photograph, especially outdoor subjects, is within about an hour of sunrise and sunset (an hour before sunset and an hour after sunrise). The light at these times is very soft and even, which is what you want for great photos. Another good light is the light that you get on a cloudy day. The light at these times is also even, and you avoid deep shadows and bright highlights. In the case of a cloudy day, it doesn’t matter what time of day you photograph, all day is good if it’s cloudy all day.
But what do you do if you have to take a picture at a time of day that is not ideal? Stay tuned…