Most people have had a time in their lives when they tried to master the art of photography. Many were inspired by the appearance of their first smartphone with a camera. However, the enthusiasm quickly faded due to rather mediocre results.
A young reporter from New York and photojournalist for Business Insider, Joey Hedden, had similar difficulties at one time. But the advice of a more experienced colleague, National Geographic photographer Kilia Yuyan, helped her overcome the line between mediocre and truly impressive photographs. The young reporter shared the advice she received with Business Insider readers.
Take a lot of pictures
Digital cameras have at least one fundamental advantage over film cameras – there are virtually no restrictions on the number of shots. A professional photographer advises taking many pictures of the same place – from slightly different angles, at certain intervals.
“The real secret of professional photographers is that we shoot a lot and then edit just one or two pictures. You should do the same with your phone. Good photos come from deep observation, and the muses reward those who slow down, stop running from place to place, but immerses itself in a specific place and moment,” Yuyan explained.
Shooting for long periods of time in one location allows you to find optimal lighting and interesting backdrops, and really immerse yourself in the environment, he says.
Look for unusual angles
We are accustomed to looking at the world from one perspective – from the level of our eyes. Therefore, pictures taken from an unexpected angle can look amazing, even when it comes to the most mundane things.
For example, when you’re photographing a small child or your own dog, try taking the photo from ground level. A photo taken from the height of an adult will be boring and uninteresting.
And this principle works not only for small objects, but also for huge ones. For example, a shot of a building where grass from the shooting point falls into the frame will give you a rather original shot.
For landscape photos, the foreground is important
According to Yuyan, it is difficult to find unique natural landscapes today, because they have all been photographed many times a long time ago. But a good object in the foreground – wildflowers or an unusually shaped tree – can refresh even a familiar landscape.
Yuyan recommends looking for a foreground subject and composing the photo so that the main landscape is in the distance.
“This will give your images depth, intimacy and make your photos unique,” he said.
Take photos up close
People often photograph interesting objects from the point where they noticed them. A beautiful building or a lush blooming apple tree will look the same if you photograph them from a distance of several hundred meters.
Yuyan advises getting as close to the subject as possible, even if your smartphone camera has a great built-in zoom. This will not only improve the quality of the photo, but you will also be able to see additional details that may be worth photographing separately from as close as possible.
As a professional photographer notes, photographs taken close-up always look more interesting and intimate than those taken from afar.
Other interesting materials on the art of photography
As UNIAN wrote, in January the winners of the international competition Travel Photographer of the Year 2023 (TPOTY) became known. It is interesting that, like a year earlier, this year the author of the best travel photographs was the representative of Slovenia: in 2022, Matjaz Krivic won, and in 2023, Andreja Ravnak.
We also talked about the most profitable smartphone for photography. According to experts, this smartphone has a powerful set of cameras for its segment, and in “blind” tests it outperforms current flagships and sub-flagships.
