Photography Magazine

Many a time we (including professional photographers) miss out on great photographs thanks to careless errors. There is no substitute for discipline while you shoot your images, however experienced or inexperienced one may be. We have put down a set of five golden rules to keep in mind when you go photographing your subjects. More to follow later -

A. Always use a tripod - there is no other tip that one can stress on more than this. And it is often the most overlooked as well. While it is true that you can shoot acceptable images with a hand held camera, it is also true that your hands will have some amount of ’shake’. To get impeccable results, you will need to ensure that the camera is mounted on a tripod or a support, especially on shutter speeds lower than about 1/100 second.

B. Keep your fingers away from the flash - this is especially true with compact cameras, which usually have the in-built flash on the top left corner of the camera. That is also the area your forefinger rests when you hold the camera in a proper grip, and it is easy to let your finger get in the front of the flash, resulting in underexposed images, or a shadow on a part of the image. With digital cameras and preview screens, it is easy to see the error soon after you photograph your subject.

C. Think before you fire - in these days of instant everything, we forget at times that composition is one of the two crucial factors of a good photograph. Take the time to compose your frame - resist the urge to fire away at everything that you see. Do get a few shots and then rethink, re frame, re compose and THINK how you have arranged the subjects in your frame and why…

D. Visualize - Try and visualize the finished image on print/computer screen. This is especially true for studio photography and landscapes. When you are able to visualize the finished image, back track your thought process and plan out every step of the photo taking process - the lighting set up, the exposure points, the filter, the lens, the film/ISO level, the shoot timing, the model make up and costumes if any, the photo editing stage and finally the presentation. When you are able to break it up into segments like this, you have a control over your photography like never before, and you have arrived!

E. Use a UV filter - there are more uses to a UV filter than simply blocking out the UV rays. Remember, the filter costs you only a fraction of the amount you paid for your lens. Keep a UV filter attached to every lens that you have (considering it is an SLR of course). If you happen to scratch the ‘lens’ surface, you will find solace in the fact that you have only damaged the cheap filter, and not your lens surface.