Five photography tips for beginners

The first thing I’d like to say is – please keep in mind that I’m not a professional photographer! I’m self taught and I’ve been interested in photography since I was a kid (literally). When I was nine years old I was about to go on a trip to Tunisia. I was traveling with a Scouts Organization that I was a member of. My grandfather gave me his precious camera. It was Yashica, a Japanese camera which he bought on one of his trips, and it was pure treasure.

I felt like he gave me the world at that moment. He told me to take some nice photos and to take good care of it. He also bought me two rolls of film (can you imagine that now?) and showed me the basics on how to use it and that was it. I was the happiest kid ever! Now I’m able to share with you my top five photography tips for beginners. How awesome is that?

My passion for photography continued ever since. When I was younger I loved photographing people and landscapes. Now, city scenes, beautiful streets and cute corners get most of my attention.

These are the basic things I’ve learned about photography and I hope you’ll find them useful. Here are my five photography tips for beginners!

1. Light

There’s a reason why this is number one of five photography tips for beginners. Lighting is everything! I always try to take photos in natural light because it’s the best. Some of my favorite times of day for taking photos are those moments after sunrise. It’s the early mornings when the light is beautiful and not harsh yet. Then there is time before sunset – late afternoons or otherwise known as the golden hour. In the last few years my favorite weather for taking photos is after the rain when everything looks clear and the colors are beautiful. It’s like the rain washed away all the dirt. Also, partly cloudy days are perfect for photography.

If you’re taking photos in the middle of the day try to find a place with a shadow or at least part shadow (that can look great!) so you’ll avoid strong light. When you’re taking photos indoors it’s always best to take them in the morning and near the source of natural light (preferably a window). Editing can help improve the light in the photos but they won’t look as beautiful as those taken in the natural light.

2. Composition

I don’t need to mention that the first thing you should do is straighten your camera (the object you’re taking photo of should be in focus as well). I really don’t like seeing a photo of a beautiful place and it’s leaning toward one side of the photo. If you missed doing that there are editing apps and programs that can make your photo straight but still it’s much better to do it while taking a shot.

There’s this thing in photography called the rule of thirds.

It’s a very easy thing to learn and helps a lot. Simply saying, you’re dividing your photo horizontally and vertically with four lines (two horizontal and two vertical ones) and creating a field of nine squares. There are four points that those lines are intersecting each other and by placing your focus on one of those points will give you a nice starting point of creating a good photo. Most cameras (phone cameras as well) have a display that can be set to a divided screen if you want to be sure you’re doing it right. You don’t always have to implement the rule of thirds, of course. It all depends what kind of a photo you’re creating, but in my experience photos which subject is not in the center of the image always look better.

3. Learn to use manual settings on your camera

This can look scary at first (I know, believe me) but once you learn how to use Manual settings you’ll rarely want to use Automatic mode again. I’m still using Auto when I don’t have time to set everything on Manual or when I need a really quick shot. It’s totally fine to use Auto if you feel comfortable with it. I’m only suggesting to try to figure out how you can set everything you want so the photo you’re taking will have a unique style since you chose all the parameters you’re working with. I’m thinking to do a whole post on using Manual mode on your camera if you are interested in that.

Let me know in the comments below or send me an email. It’s always nice to hear from you!

4. Take multiple shots

Photography needs practice and it’s a process of constant learning. So, take your camera for a walk and find a place where you feel comfortable. It’s always a good idea to practice with nature shots and begin! Take photos of trees or flowers. See which angle you like the most, where the light is coming from and just enjoy. Try zooming in and out, see what looks better.

Take more shots of the same subject. That way you’ll see later which is the one you like most. It happens that I take fifty photos of one place (or one object) and end up unsatisfied with either one of them. I don’t get discouraged especially at the beginning. And I think it’s a good thing not to love your photos immediately. That will make you want to practice more and to take better shots every time.

5. Think about background

This comes as a subject of conversation if there is a particular object or a person you’re photographing. Think about colours, do they match, is that the right background for that kind of photo… If you’re starting portrait photography keep in mind that you’re photographing someone who can listen to you. You can explain to them how to stand, where to stand, where to move to avoid the direct light behind them. Practice and make it great! I would also recommend photo shoot somewhere in nature or with a simple white background and good light.

If you like wandering the streets you can always find a building with a nice facade that can serve as a good background. Scroll through Instagram, Pinterest, Shutterstock, search for some inspiration and see which kind of photos you like most and you’ll find your style.