Today, practically everyone carries a camera at all times.
From the Gulf beaches to the Tennessee state line, photographers can find incredible scenery, diverse habitats, and wildlife that create fantastic photographic opportunities.
True confession, my business card says “photographer” on it, and I sell hundreds of photos each year, but I’m more of a writer who shoots pictures. I do know what a good photo should look like, so I bought a great smart camera. I compose the photos and let the camera figure out all the technical stuff.
Many smart phone cameras can take excellent photos within limitations. Any quality camera can take great photos, but the lens does the real work. A mediocre camera with a high-quality lens takes much better photos than an outstanding camera with a poor lens. The lens does the work of focusing and capturing the image. To shoot great photos, buy the best lens with the highest quality glass you can afford. The better the glass, the sharper the image.
From the Gulf beaches to the Tennessee state line, photographers can find incredible scenery, diverse habitats, and wildlife that create fantastic photographic opportunities.
With good equipment in hand, look for interesting subjects. Fill the frame with the most important elements. For example, if shooting a photo of a colorful bird on a fence, use a telephoto lens or get as close as possible to the bird without frightening it. Fill the photo with the image. Keep a portion of the fence in the photo for scale and realism. Don’t shoot a photo showing a small dot in the center that somewhat looks like a bird.
Before snapping, always pay strict attention to the background. A cluttered background takes away from the subject. Shoot from an angle or zoom in to avoid unnecessary clutter or anything in the background that could distract from a good photo. Also, watch for people or animals doing inappropriate things in the background. Look for any objects in the background that could appear to be going through a person’s head.
Sometimes, the background is the most important subject, like when walking along a beautiful Mississippi beach at sunrise. The soft golden glow of early morning or before sunset makes the best light for beautiful photography.
Never fight the sun. No camera flash can ever overpower the sun. Always shoot with the sun behind the camera or off to one side. When inside, don’t shoot toward windows with the sun shining through it. Compose photos so the sun illuminates the most important aspect of the subject, like a person’s face. Instead of always shooting at eye level, try different heights and angles with and without flash.
Perhaps the most common mistake people make, especially with smart phones — not shooting vertical subjects vertically and horizontal subjects horizontally. For instance, to photograph a tall heron standing on a post, hold the camera vertically. When shooting a duck swimming across a pond, turn the camera horizontally.
With digital equipment, photographers can shoot unlimited photos without cost. Shoot every subject or pose multiple times. Experiment with different camera settings. Keep the best images and delete the rest.
