Are you mesmerized by the wonderful picture your favorite photographers take? Many photographers can take amazing shots after spending a considerable amount of time photographing people and places.
People say, “a good photograph speaks a thousand words,” and if you want to shoot an image that recites its own story; similar to photos shot by a professional photo production company, then this article is where you will understand how you can start shooting like a photo production company.
You can use this knowledge to shoot better images for your friends or business. Let’s start by learning more about the fundamentals of photography.
What is photography?
Photography is an art that focuses on capturing the beauty of nature and its beings. There are further divisions of photography, such as landscape photography, portrait photography, macro photography and many more. They all utilize different equipment and focus on capturing various aspects of nature.
For example, a landscape photographer will have a short focal length lens to cover a wide area, whereas wildlife photographers use long focal length cameras because they capture dangerous animals and need to maintain distance; therefore, long focal length lenses allow them to capture faraway objects without reducing the quality of images.
How to start photography?
Many photo production companies suggest that people start photographing with anything they have to shoot. To take a great photograph, many people think you need to have a great camera, which is not true. Photography is an art that develops within an individual. Your equipment allows you to bring that art in the best way possible not the other way around.
Nowadays, many smartphones come with excellent smart cameras that allow you to take extraordinary images.
So for starters, you can begin by photographing things and objects around you and gradually develop your skills. Later if you want, you can upgrade to a camera, you can get a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) or an SLR based on your budget(Single Lens Reflex).
Difference between a phone camera and a DSLR camera
You may be wondering how different a phone camera is from a DSLR camera? Right? Nowadays, most phone cameras produce images similar to a DSLR, so why choose a DSLR?
There is no comparison between a phone camera and a DSLR camera as both have different requirements and uses.
A phone camera is portable, easy to use, and can be immediately used to shoot images or films. Whereas DSLRs are comparatively slower to turn-on and are appropriate for planned shoots.
Quality of shots
When it comes to the quality of shots, both produce excellent images. But when you start to zoom in, the images in the phone, image starts to distort, which is not the case with a DSLR.
Why?
Simply because of the difference in the way they zoom. A phone camera lens is fixed and doesn’t move. So, for example, if you move from a normal camera mode to a wide-angle, the camera in use is changed along with their sensors and shifted to wide-angle lens.
Similarly, if you zoom in, the lenses do not move to zoom into a place, rather the image is zoomed within that camera frame and with the help of smart AI software they fill in the gaps in the photographs.
In the case of a DSLR camera, the lenses within the full lens of the camera move back and forth changing the length without compromising on the quality of images.
Elements of a good photograph
- Location
Location plays an important role in what you want to show in your photographs. Every location triggers a certain feeling. For example, a cemetery, beach, flower garden, church, attic and many such areas trigger a particular feeling. - Time
Time plays a crucial factor in setting the theme. If you are shooting outdoors, you have to move according to the natural clock. For example, landscapes are best shot early in the morning or in the evening, as in these times, the sun creates long shadows giving a dramatic feel to your photos. - Lights
The type of light you use is how your viewers will feel. If you are doing indoor shoots, ensure you have ample lighting to highlight your subject. The way light hits your subject can also impact the final results. - Colors
Every color has a certain feeling to it. For example, blue is often related to calm and sadness, red with anger or heat, green with prosperity and flourishment. Choosing a terrain with the right colors will help you amplify your message and encompass people in your story. - Balance
Finally, balance is a crucial factor that you need to maintain to avoid overcrowding in your image. Color balance, white balance, number of subjects, and others. Keep it simple and do not overcrowd with too many things.
How to shoot dramatic images?
- Use filters
Many photographers use lens filters to shoot dramatic images. These filters are placed in front of lenses and emphasize a particular color or tone on the image. - Long exposure photography
Long exposure photography involves playing and experimenting with shutter speeds. For example, have you seen those images of traffic with long trails of lights or an image of a beach where the water appears to be milky? It can be achieved with long exposure photography. You can also use it to shoot photographs in the night sky. - Symmetry
The best example of a symmetrical image is Salar de Uyuni. When you take a shot in Salar de Uyuni, the saltwater creates a perfect reflection creating a symmetrical reflection of the sky. You don’t need to visit Salar de Uyuni to get a symmetrical shot. It can be found in objects around you, and effectively using symmetries can give a dramatic look to your photographs.
Are there any principles to follow?
If you are looking for principles to follow while photographing, there aren’t any. Many websites and articles have stated laws or principles of photography, but in reality, they are more like a guideline.
As earlier said, photography is an art; therefore, it doesn’t have fixed principles. Some popular guidelines are the rule of thirds, lines, reflection, etc.
Conclusion
These ideas are widely used by photo production companies while working for a client. Initially, coping with all these can be difficult, but as time passes and with continuous work, you will start taking great photographs. If you instantly need help shooting for a project or for your business, an ideal option for you is to hire a photo production company in Iceland that will produce your desired result.