World Photography Day: Some secret tips to capturing those great photos

“The photo that you took with your digital camera is the creativeness you desire to create with reality.” — Scott Lorenzo

If you are a photography enthusiast who loves to capture landscape/objects through his lens, this quote will well resonate with you deeply. And even if you are not, don’t you think a world without photography would have been a scary concept?

Gone are the days, when photographers were the ones whom you would spot only at weddings or special occasions. Certainly, the approach to photography has changed over the years and Gen Z and millennials have embraced it as a full-fledged career option as a photojournalist or a photography expert.

In this social media-dependent world, clicking pictures is no more limited to being a passion or a secondary option, it is something everyone enjoys on a daily basis. And to mark this beautiful form of art, August 19 is observed as World Photography Day with the aim to inspire photographers across the globe to share their stories with their own way of clicking.

In today’s time, photography has become a far more user-friendly and affordable choice of profession. Anyone who is introduced to the world of photography, they have to get familiar with all the key terms used by well-known photographers, which in turn often results in intimidating the beginners. 

Therefore, it is imperative for aspiring students, professionals, vloggers and even influencers to know, if they are investing in a good camera and to understand photography techniques that make all the difference.

For all photography enthusiasts, here are some tips and tricks to make sure you click right every time -

The go-to-equipment

It doesn't matter if you buy a basic digital camera as your first one as it won't be your last. It isn’t the machine that takes the photo; it's the person behind the lens. It is great to research a number of features for the body in your decision-making process, but before all of that, you should look at how easily you can access accessories such as lenses and flashes for your unit.

Light is the beauty

Lights will guide your photography. Understand the importance of light and shadows before you frame your shot, observe where the light is coming from. With experience, a professional’s advice would be to start with monochrome photos - where you and your subjects are standing vis-à-vis the light will decide how your picture comes out.

Shoot raw

Shooting raw means adding zero filters which will leave you with an unedited image, that allows you complete control when it comes to editing. It is essential for a photographer to click a picture where the subject’s natural reaction or expression isn’t bothered.

The frame game

A photograph will look appealing if you frame it well. Suppose you’re out on a trek in your bicycle, stop over, take out your digital camera and work on building a nice frame with your bicycle in it. While clicking anything and everything seems easy but the trick is to observe around what you want to convey.

Practice is beauty

Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced, success comes with discipline and then it is shared. Observe your surroundings and use your camera every single day. Just like any other form of skill evolves practice. What your mind doesn’t know, your eyes can’t see. Once you know what your camera settings do and how they affect your picture, you'll see things that you haven’t before and your frames will keep getting better.

This article has been written by Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India.