Photo Blog

For those of us who live in small towns, finding a photography class or a teacher to help develop our skills can be a challenge. Once you get through your high school photography class, you may be on your own — I was.

Of course, the fabulous Web has changed everything now. You can find an online photography class or even a complete degree program that will develop your eye, your techniques and your software knowledge. And you can do it all at home, during the hours that work best for you.

I’m still finding PhotoShop a challenge. There are just so many features and tools to experiment with and master. But I’m working on it.

Pictures taken by random people, friends, and family mainly consist of memories and things of interest. Why do we do this? People take pictures because they want to capture those moments for a lifetime. Portrait shots are one of the most common types of pictures taken. Why is this? It is so because portraits tend to have faces in them, and people want to remember those who were with them at a certain time in life.

A lot of us are interested in photography, but how many of us actually take out the time to learn and master digital or film photography? When it comes to portraits, most of us will choose to have special pictures done at a studio. Why would you want to waste that money when you could do it on your own, to your own taste? Let’s take a look at a couple of the basics needed to capture those special moments in life.

Just like in the real estate market, location is also a key factor in the photography niche. Never take pictures in poor lighting or in a boring area, unless of course that is your objective. If you want to take portrait pictures, you should not have a distracting background. If the background is a bit busy, you could blur it out later in the editing stage. Colors can also ruin a picture if you are not careful. A good contrast between the subject and background is ideal.

The closer you are to your subject, the more clarity you can bring to the picture. If you are taking pictures of animals in nature, you could get a few macro shots for the ultimate effect. Keep in mind that pictures taken close up require the proper lens or effect on the camera. If you get too close, your picture will be nothing but a blur. For contrast, try the same picture from far away but only focused on the subject. The difference is striking.

The angle of a picture can also play a big role in how your final photo turns out. If you take your shot from down low, the effect can be the exact opposite if you were to take one from up high. Go ahead and try it next time. Also remember that your subject does not have to be in the center of a picture. When things are unbalanced, they actually look better from time to time. There are a bunch of online digital photography courses for those interested in learning from professionals, however no matter what you want to do, always remember to fully become used to your particular camera.