With phone cameras in a seemingly exponential cycle of quality development, the art of photography has never been more accessible to the everyday person. Whether it’s snaps of your eggs benedict for Instagram or mum, dictator-style, forcing family portraits at every gathering, everyone is getting in on it and it’s clear why. Not only is it fun, but it gives us lasting memories forever to have a peek at when we’re getting a bit soppy after a couple glasses of pinot.
That said, I completely endorse deleting all pictures of your ex. You’re better than that. Fill that storage on your computer or phone with something new and prettier that doesn’t gaslight you. “But how do I make my pictures worthwhile and gorgeous, Lucy?”, I hear you bellowing at whatever device you’re reading this on. Well, here are some tips for the amateur, from yours truly, the other amateur but with way too much free time.
Let’s get the techy stuff out of the way first; if you’re shooting on a DSLR, read the manual! It’s a little machine, and needs to be treated with due respect. Teach yourself the boring bits: how to control the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and what each of these do. They are the building blocks of your photography, and if you can make them work for you, you’re already halfway there. If you don’t have a manual, then Google is your very best friend for this. Sites such as Cambridge in Colour and Photography Life are also great tools, explaining the basics slowly and dummy-proof, without all the confusing big words.
Now, the fun stuff – the Rule of Thirds. A pretty basic concept, meaning divide your shot into three, and place your subject in one of the thirds, leaving the other two blank. The purpose of this is to jazz up your shot composition. If you only ever shoot centrally, your photography is sure to become bland. Not to say that shooting centrally is a definite no-go! Sometimes, a simple portrait can be incredibly effective and classic – things are popular for a reason! – but my advice is to use them sparingly.
The Rule of Thirds is not the only method of elevating your composition; experiment with how close your subject is and the angle you’re shooting from. Try to reduce the scene to its basic colours and shapes. Defocusing your eyes is an effective way to better see the dynamics of your photo. If you want to get a bit more technical about it, have a look at colour theory and how you can use complementary tones to your advantage. However, don’t be afraid to experiment. Convention is there to be broken. Sometimes the best shots can come from doing the exact opposite of what you feel you should be doing.
Leading on from this, one of the most important things I have learnt from taking photos is this: don’t hold yourself to an impossible standard. Every photograph you take isn’t going to be MoMA-ready, but that doesn’t mean that you’re a bad photographer. It’s all about taking a hundred shots to get the one that you’re proud of. Keep a steady hand and a steady mind. A bit of blurring isn’t the end of the world and cropping is always a good friend.
A part of photography I have found to be the most effective is editing. It sounds boring, but I promise it’s not. Whack Photoshop or Lightroom onto your PC and give it a go. Photo’s a bit tilted? Sorted. Awkward pimple on your subject’s chin? Healing tool that baby into oblivion. Want to become The Bride cutting off O-Ren Ishii’s forehead in Kill Bill? Might be a bit harder, but nothing’s impossible. What I’m trying to say is that it’s referred to as a ‘raw’ image for a reason – that little sucker needs cooking. It might take a little self-teaching, but it’s worth it for the end product. Or even if you just end up fiddling around with colour balances, it can completely overhaul the picture and experience for you.
Another way to get a great photo and to have a fun time doing it, is to get your friends involved. They’ll make great subjects as the atmosphere will be more relaxed, and it won’t feel as scary for you either. On the day I bought myself my own DSLR, the first photos I took were of my boyfriend Arthur and my mate Adam. Later on that day, I decked Adam out in a full face of glam makeup and we did a faux-Vogue moment. For his sake, I won’t show you those photos here, but you can believe me when I say they are front page material. Not only was it a hilarious experience, but some of the photos were genuinely good candids, and it also gave me a chance to experiment with each of the individual settings on my camera.
But your friends aren’t the only ones willing to be photographed. Whenever you go to events, make sure to keep your camera handy. Even if it’s just a trip to the city centre, you never know who you might see for a possible photo op (with their permission, of course). Street performers, dog walkers, the well-dressed, ask to take their picture! What’s the worst that could happen? They say no? You pretend you don’t speak English and walk the other way.
If there’s anything you can take away from these ramblings, it’s that you must experiment! Photography is a unique and individualistic art, and cannot be reduced to ‘these cookie-cutter methods will turn you into Arbus overnight!’. Sure, take inspiration from the greats and be in the know when it comes to technique, but the best advice I could give you would simply be to study what excites you and capture it in the way you want to capture it. That’s what truly makes a great photo.
