taking better photos?

[can_chaser]

im 15 and have been been in love with photography ever since i can remember.for my birthday my parents got me a pretty nice camera,but its like when i take a picture its just that.oh its just a bird or a flower,there is no depth to it at all.they're ok,but i want the artistic side of it.thats the whole reason i want to get into it,so i guess im wondering if anyone has any tips on how to make my pictures more intersting?

 

[John_Olexa]

Not sure I follow you here? Can you post an image?

I mean this is just a seagull, But I love this image. ( if I post it right)

Copyright 2006 John Olexa

 

[keith204]

First off, buy lots and lots of equipment. You probably need a Nikon D3, a 70-200 2.8VR, and a 400mm 2.8... at the least.

</sarcasm>

It sounds like when I first started out. I got a Rebel XT, and took it everywhere with me. I'd go to the park, where everyone else had their cameras, and took some cool pictures. But in the end, "it's just a bird in a tree, anyone can take that" or "It's a leaf, woohoo" etc. I mean, you can get pretty neat shots, but in the end, nothing totally special.

The above image posted by John is incredible, because it is a bird in flight. This would be very hard to capture, and would require plenty of nice equipment (see above).

Here's where I would start if you just want to play. Get a reflector (I found a 5-in-1 set from eBay for 17 bucks). Use it to direct light. It sounds like you're outside a bit, so use it to direct the sunlight different ways. I mean, get creative...make the sun light the flower from behind, or from the side, etc. See how light coming from different directions can affect the photograph. Next, get at different angles. I took a picture of a hay bail (ok everyone has a hay picture, right?) and I put my camera in the grass, so the grass is in focus, but the hay is out of focus. Turned out pretty neat, and I have gotten a lot of compliments. The angle did it all. Another idea - find out how to use a 30-second exposure with your camera. Maybe set it on a tripod in your yard at night-time and have kids run around with flashlights during those 30-seconds. The effect will be neat. All of this practice will help you gain different perspectives about photography, how light works, and how the camera works to receive that light.

There's all kinds of stuff you can do, so have fun! :thumbup:

 

[adolan20]

I mean this is just a seagull but I like it too!

 

[Iron Flatline]

The best place to start is here. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and ignore those that give you snappy or useless answers.

Next, link to some images that you like, and ask photographers here (or elsewhere in your life) to discuss with you what you like about the image. Dark moody colors? A swirl of motion? An out-of-focus background? The way the elements work in a composition? All these are factors, and great images tend to include more than one item worth emulating.

Once you've understood what you like, you might decide to include that style in your own photography. The next step would be understanding how a certain effect is achieved. Is it a certain lens? A processing style in Photoshop? A compositional element - meaning it's a way of framing the shot?

Parallel to that post some of your pics for critique and comment. Few people will comment, some will just have short comments, and not all will be helpful. But every comment is better than no comment - or "It's Lovely, Dear" from non-photographer mom

You can learn all of this, it's great fun. Don't be afraid to ask, and feel free seek out certain helpful people specifically if you're not
getting good feedback from the membership at large.

 

[Cicak]

I'm in your position aswell, being a student, I'm also on a really tight budget, and can't really afford lots of gear and good lenses.

I find that post processing can make a dull picture really special (not sure if some would call this cheating). HDR is something really worth looking at, it's inexpensive and it'll get your creative juices going. Along with panorama.

But, most importantly to me it'll have to be the composition of the shot, and the basics till I can afford better lenses.

 

[Rachelsne]

what kind of camera do you use, do you know how to use the different functions, like using the macro button when you are taking a close up picture, this wil help you get depth of field on your flower pics so the back ground is blury, if you have a dslr where you can have different lenses, then I dont know because I cant afford a DSLR yet

 

[Alex_B]

just try new perspectives, get yourself in perspectives you are usually not in (climb a tree, get down to the ground, get close to objects, combine a close foreground with the background).


in other words, play around and move around. do not shoot just from your eyes height

 

[Antithesis]

If you can, take a few classes. It's an awesome way to learn all the basics and get some good feedback in the process. There are also many, many books on technical and compositional subjects that will give you an idea of how other people use these elements. Also, just cruise forums like this one, pick up knowledge and look at as many photographs as possible. You'll start to understand what compositional elements work and also get some inspiration for a photo or two.

 

[R0TT3NBURIT0]

Take your camera everywere with you. buy a telephoto lens and take pictures of random things, sometimes the same thing many times until you have a an artisic shot