15 Photography Tips for Beginners

Getting started with photography? Recently bought yourself a new camera and want to know some good tips? We met and talked with several photographers and asked them for their top tips they would share with beginner photographers. This article contains 15 tips you will find useful when getting started with photography.

1. Pay attention to lighting: Lighting is a crucial element in photography. Experiment with different lighting conditions, such as natural light, artificial light, and different times of day, to achieve the desired mood and atmosphere in your photos. Learn to use techniques like backlighting, side lighting, and front lighting to add depth and dimension to your images. How you utilize lighting in your photography will really reflect the kind of work you want to focus on. If you are just getting started consider what kind of photography you want to produce. Some photographers prefer to focus on natural light photography and will shoot in the day. They will either shoot outside or find a photo studio with really great natural light. Other photographers enjoy to explore with different artificial lighting and may shoot at night or shoot indoors in studios that may not contain a lot of natural light or can be blocked out. 
2. Composition: Understanding composition in photography is very important and helps your images have balance and a clear message. Eliminate distractions in your images and adjust the composition. Composition refers to how you arrange the elements in your frame. Experiment with different compositional techniques, such as leading lines, symmetry, framing, and the rule of odds, to create visually appealing and balanced compositions.
3. Rule of Thirds: The Rule of Thirds, is an important principle photographers follow. It involves dividing your frame into nine equal parts using imaginary lines (two horizontal and two vertical). The points where these lines intersect are called “power points,” and placing your subject or points of interest along these lines or at the power points can create more dynamic and visually appealing compositions.
4. Get familiar with your settings: Use appropriate settings and equipment: Learn to use your camera settings effectively, including aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, to control exposure, depth of field, and motion blur. Familiarize yourself with the different lenses and accessories available for your camera to achieve the desired creative effects. 
5. Find interesting perspectives: Try to avoid shooting from eye level all the time. Instead, experiment with different angles and perspectives to create unique and captivating photos. For example, get down low for a worm’s-eye view or climb up high for a bird’s-eye view. Changing your perspective can help you capture ordinary subjects in extraordinary ways.
6. Experiment with Depth of Field: Depth of field refers to the area of the photo that is in focus. Experiment with different aperture settings to control the depth of field and create interesting effects. For example, using a wide aperture (low f-number) can create a shallow depth of field, blurring the background and emphasizing the subject.
7. Pay attention to details: Details can make a big difference in your photos. Pay attention to small details, such as background distractions, distracting elements in the frame, and unwanted reflections. Take the time to carefully compose and frame your shots, and review your images on the camera’s LCD screen to ensure you have captured the details you want.
8. Experiment with post-processing: Post-processing is an essential part of digital photography. Experiment with different post-processing techniques, such as cropping, adjusting exposure, contrast, and color balance, and applying filters or effects to enhance your images and give them your unique artistic touch.
9. Clean your camera lens: Sometimes we don’t realize how dirty our camera lens can get and a quick cleaning makes a huge difference for your shots! Often times, we have seen photographers with dirty or smudged lens and it can lead to blurry images. Camera lens can be easily cleaned with a microfiber cloth and a lens cleaning solution. 
10. Keep it Steady: Use a tripod or stabilize your camera to avoid camera shake, especially in low light conditions. A steady camera will result in sharper images with more detail.
11. Back up your work: We all know someone who has lost their photos once in their lifetime. Losing your photos can mean disaster especially if these were special personal photos or were photos from a paid project. Your photos should be stored in more than one hard drive. Many photographers back their photos online and in a hard drive. 
12. Keep it simple: Sometimes less is more. Try to simplify your composition by removing distracting elements from the frame, and focusing on the main subject. If you are just getting started in photography, its best to start simple and focus on getting good and clear shots. 
13. Shoot in RAW format: RAW format captures all the data from your camera’s sensor, allowing for greater flexibility in post-processing. This can be especially helpful if you want to adjust exposure, white balance, or other aspects of the image later on.
14. Try something new! If you are just getting started in photography, explore different kinds of photography and find out what you enjoy the best. There is portrait photography, fashion, film photography, editorial photography, architecture photography, product photography and much more. There are many kinds of photography and photographers often also like to focus on more specific clientele if it’s a business for them. For example, many photographers prefer to focus on maternity shoots, newborn shoots, branding shoots, or even professional head shot photography. 
15. Practice, practice, practice: Like any skill, photography requires practice. Take your camera with you wherever you go and shoot as much as you can. Experiment with different subjects, lighting conditions, and techniques to develop your own style and improve your skills over time.

Hope you enjoy these useful photography tips!