My journey in photography started at a young age it has always been a part of my life and DNA. This is one of my passions in life. As far as I remember, I used to use an old film camera with cubic flashes, which were disposable after use. Perhaps some of you recall that time, when I was 14 years old.

Of course, it was my first step to learning photography. I am a self-taught photographer, and my love for it never faded, especially now with Digital Photography. It emphasizes my passion for it with all the limitless possibilities.

Today I would like to share with you 3 simple tips to improve your photos and have fun.

1 – Know how to use your camera.

Regardless of the camera you have, whether basic, small, or professional, you must know how to use it before taking pictures for a special event or trip.

Last week I was visiting a garden and a young man with his wife approached me asking me if I could take a picture of his wife with his camera and wanted me to show him how. He said that he bought the camera at the Best Buy store two months ago, but he didn’t know what to do with it.

Sometimes, the store where you bought the camera offers classes on how to use it. You may take advantage of these classes to learn all the functions of the camera and practice at the same time.

Additionally, you can find photography websites and subscribe to them, which helps a lot; that’s what I do. There are many options to choose from. In addition, if you want to learn about a specific subject, such as “how to take pictures of fireworks,” simply Google it, as my friend used to say, and you will find videos on the topic.

2 – Rule of thirds.

Avoid putting the subject in the middle, even though you can break the rule sometimes, and it’s ok. It depends on the topic and situation. And it makes the photo more visually appealing.

3 – Composition.

Appealing to the eye!                                Looks too busy, don’t know where to look!

Composition plays a vital role in photography. It balances out all the elements in the pictures so that the photo does not look messy. For instance, what is your subject? Sky, foreground, and people, what do you want people to look at? These are the questions you may ask yourself before taking the picture.

Because you don’t want to have too many wires in your pictures, which will spoil them. You want to keep it simple and appealing.

To conclude, I could talk for hours on the subject, but you need to put your hands on.  Don’t wait one week to read the Instruction Manual of your camera, as I did the first time I bought my digital camera. I was so afraid to do something wrong that I read it for a week over and over, as you can imagine!

For those who would like to delve deeper into the subject by incorporating digital darkroom software, which enables you to enhance your photos beyond what was possible when printing them.
The lab was adjusting the exposure and white balance, among other settings, to improve the photo, but we were not aware of it because they did it for us.

The time has changed, and what I recommend is:  “ Lightroom software and/or Photoshop ” so you can bring your creativity to a higher level, but it is not mandatory at the beginning, and even later, if you don’t feel it, it is up to you.

You can join a photography club to learn from others and subscribe to relevant photography websites. It’s worth it.

What is more important is to have fun and learn new skills. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do, and perhaps you will discover a new passion that you were previously unaware of.


Please leave a comment or ask me a question below.

Happy photography!


Gaétane Ferland
www.gaetaneferland.com

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