One of the many things that blogging has taught me, since I started around three years ago, is how to take a half decent photo. I used to be a point and click kind of person – I’d never have considered composition or lighting. However, when a brand asks you to review their product you suddenly feel a responsibility to create images that do the product justice.
There are many websites and online resources for learning about photography but I often find them quite complicated. Unless you’re a professional photographer, taking a decent photograph really just boils down to a few things. Give some consideration to the following and you won’t go too far wrong…
Lighting
This, without a doubt, is the biggest factor in taking a good photograph. You can of course add lighting when you edit a photograph but its just not the same as natural light and it also takes up your precious time. In the winter you may struggle and this is when artificial lighting is more useful. When I take a photograph of a product I always ensure I have natural daylight – a room with uPVC roof lanterns would be ideal!
Composition
I had never really considered composition but how the subject of your photograph is placed in the image can really make or break a photo. For example, when I photograph something I like to think of the image in thirds. So my subject should take up one third and then I like to leave two thirds of the photograph free.
Perspective
Think about where you’re taking the photograph from. Sometimes standing directly in front of your subject isn’t the best angle. For example, if you’re taking a picture of a tree or something quite tall it would be effective to kneel down to really emphasise the height of your subject.
Be Candid…
Especially when working with kids! I think my worst photographs come when I ask the kids to do something e.g. sit on this chair and smile. You can guarantee they will do the exact opposite. However, if you set the scene and then encourage them into the kind of position you’d like whilst they’re playing then nine times out of ten you’ll probably end up getting the shot without all the stress and it will probably look a hundred times more natural!
Practice
No-one ever got better at something by not doing it and nowadays we really don’t have an excuse not to as most us carry cameras around with us on our phones. You don’t need a fancy camera to take a good photograph – just snap away and you will soon learn what does and doesn’t work. You will develop our own style so don’t compare yourself to others as photography is very subjective.
