Record Photographer Clifford Oto's Blog

If you want to become a photographer the best way to improve skills is to take a class. From community colleges to online instruction, there are some great classes you can take. But not everyone wants to be a full-blown photographer. Maybe you just want to take better pictures, whether you use a fancy DSLR camera, a compact point-and-shoot or even just your phone. But we all live full and busy lives and may not have the time to take such classes. What can you do?

Often, I’ll online headlines such as “100 tips to improve your photography.” That’s far too many for anyone to consider. By the time you’ve gone through all of them, your subject has gotten bored and walked away. I’ve seen shorter lists of 50 and 25 which are also too lengthy for average person to wade through. Even a top 10 can be cumbersome, so I’ve come up with 3 easy tips that you can use almost immediately for better pictures.

#1: Get closer. The most common mistake that most people make is not getting close enough. Think about it. When you take a photo a picture of another person you’ll quite often take a step back to try and take in the whole scene. At the same time most subjects will instinctively also step back. By the time everyone is ready, the subject will be tiny within the frame. My photo instructors used to say “when you think you’re close enough, take a step closer.” Quite often people think they know the proper distance when in reality it’s too far away. Try to fill the frame with your subject. You often don’t need to take a head-to-toes photo of a person. Most times taking a photo from the torso on up or even a head and shoulders shot can be very effective.

#2: Watch the background. Very often a photographer will be concentrating on the subject so much that they don’t notice what’s going on in the background. The result can be a telephone pole sticking out of grandma’s head or a tree branch coming out of uncle Timmy’s ear. An old photographer’s trick is, after lining up your subject, to scan each of the 4 corners of the frame for any unwanted distractions. It’s they’re all clear they’s it’s time to press the button. If not, then simply move your subject or change your position. It could be as easy as a single step left or right or as extensive as moving to a different locale.

#3: Think. This is actually the most important tip. If you don’t think about the process then none of the other tips will work. You won’t think about getting closer or watching your backgrounds. With some practice you can train yourself to think “am I close enough? Is the background uncluttered?” It doesn’t take that much time and just a little thought can make a big difference in you pictures.

I talked here about taking pictures of people but you can apply these tips to almost any kind of photography.

Certainly, there are other things to learn about like, exposure, composition and lighting and timing, especially if you want to advance your skills, but as an average everyday picture-taker you may not have time to learn about them. These 3 basic basics can help to improve your photography immediately.

The question “what if?” is often used to refer to things or events that are hypothetical. It could be as simple as: “what if I turned right instead of left?” Or it could be more philosophical: “what if you could go back in time and keep your parents from ever meeting (then how could you have been born to go back in time in the first place)?”

In photography, “what if” can be used to help to improve your photos. In almost any photographic situation, whether it’s sports, portraits, nature or news photography, the words “what if” should come into your head.

It could be as simple as “what if I took a step closer or a step back?” “What if I got down low and shot from a low angle or found a higher position for more of a bird’s-eye view?” I often shoot from a kneeling position. It’s the easiest way to get a low shot. You can also place the camera on the ground to get even lower. Conversely, I’ll get up high by doing what’s known in the business as a “Hail Mary,” by holding up the camera well over my head. Now, the ground level and overhead shots pretty much dictate that you can’t look through the camera and shoot at the same time. They require practice, some estimation and a little luck, but they can be mastered over time

You can apply it when you should shoot. In photography timing is very important. “What if I came back late in the afternoon or early in the morning?” Would the light be different? Most certainly. Better? Probably so. Maybe you can come back later to a picturesque spot when there are fewer people in the background or foreground.

“What if” could be applied to lighting. What if I moved a studio light from the left side to the right? Or added one or two more? Most studio lights have what are known as modeling lamps. They are constant light bulbs that are separate from the ones that flash so when you move the lights you can actually see the changes that occur.

“What if” can be practiced with lens choice. One of the biggest factors in determining the look of your photo is which lens you decide to use. A telephoto lens will compress things in your photo so that foreground subject and background elements will appear closer together. A wide angle will do just the opposite and include more of the background in the photo. By exercising a “what if” mentality you can explore the capabilities of each kind of lens.

“What if” can be a very important tool. For the beginner it should be a mantra running though your brain (“what if…what if..,what if”). It may not work all the time or even most of the time, but if you do it enough times you’ll likely come across something that works for you.

As you get more experience, you may not need to repeat the phrase in your head as the practice of looking for all the possibilities in a situation becomes second nature to you and you will have an answer to the question of “what if.”