Also, if the frame is relatively close to the camera, it can act as a foreground layer that adds depth to your image. Similar to creating a bokeh effect in the background, if you manually focus and zoom in on a subject the middle ground, you can keep the frame out of focus, which makes sure it doesn’t draw attention away from your focal point.
When photography students are being taught how to take professional photos, they are often told to “fill the frame.” It’s great advice because if you leave too much space around your main subject, distracting elements in the background can take away from your composition.
So, for example, when shooting a portrait, you might decide to just include the person from the waist up, or, even better, to fill the frame with their face. It makes for a much more captivating and professional-looking photo when all the unneeded extra space is cropped out.
Including patterns or symmetrical elements in your photos can make them more eye-catching. Humans have a tendency to spot patterns, and it’s one reason that including them in your shots can help you learn how to take professional photos.
So keep an eye out for ways to include patterns, symmetry, and repetition of shapes or colors in your photography. Also, including an element that disrupts the pattern makes for an interesting focal point. A simple example would be a picket fence with one broken or missing picket.
Making sure your shots are properly lit is an essential part of how to make your pictures look professional, and it’s something that inexperienced photographers often overlook. The first step is making sure you have enough light that your subject is visible. If there’s not enough light, your camera may struggle to capture the details in the scene.
If you happen to be shooting with your camera on automatic settings (which is not how to take professional photos, but more on that later!), it will use a high ISO setting or extra-long exposure, and you’ll probably end up with grainy or blurry results. And, if you try to brighten things up in Photoshop, you may find you have to make massive adjustments, which also results in a low-quality image.
On the other hand, if there’s too much hard light in your shots, it can ruin your photo with unwanted shadows. So spend some time carefully picking your location and the angle you shoot from to ensure there’s enough light in the scene. Another way to deal with this problem is by using lighting equipment.
Relying solely on available light is not always the right way to take professional pictures. If you do, then you are severely limiting yourself. Professional photographers spend a lot of time planning out lighting and they use a range of lighting equipment. But you don’t need to spend a lot of money to take the lighting in your photography to the next level.
One affordable piece of equipment that will help you manage your lighting is a light reflector. You could pick up a 5-in-1 light reflector for around $20, and it will give you a lot of options for manipulating light in your shots. These versatile light reflectors come with reversible covers made from different types of reflective materials. For instance, they have silver covers that reflect lots of bright light, white covers that reflect softer light, and black covers for helping you remove light from a scene.
By providing a simple way to start manipulating light in your shots, light reflectors are a big help when it comes to wrapping your head around how to take professional photos.
If you understand that lighting is an important part of how to make photographs look professional, you may be thinking about investing in lighting equipment such as a studio strobe. But don’t overlook your camera flash!
If you shy away from using it because you find the light is too harsh, there are a number of solutions. One of the best options would be to invest in an external flash. External camera flashes, whether used attached to your camera’s hot-shoe or used off-camera, can give you much more flexibility. For one, they enable you to aim the light rather than have it blasting directly on your subject.
This allows you to bounce the light off a nearby surface like a ceiling or wall. The result is that the light is spread out much more evenly and looks less intense. There are also a variety of flash diffusers available for external flashes that will help you soften the light without having to bounce it off a surface.
But if you aren’t ready to invest in an external flash, there are less expensive options for diffusing the light from your camera’s built-in flash. One example is this diffuser for built-in camera flashes. It costs less than $20 and simply clips onto the top of your camera. It uses frosted plastic to soften the light.
Many photographers also create DIY solutions for diffusing the light from their flashes, such as using various translucent white plastic containers and cutting them so they fit over the flash.
But there’s a lot more to lighting than just making sure you have enough of it. You can also use light in a variety of interesting ways that can totally change the mood of your photos. Once you get comfortable creating some of these effects, it will help you with figuring out how to make your photographs look professional.
Shooting during the golden hour. The golden hour is what photographers call the time just after sunrise and just before sunset. This is when you can capture scenes bathed in golden-hued light—which makes for a great photo. Also, since the sun is low in the sky, things cast very long shadows that can create a dramatic effect.
Create a silhouette. Try shooting a subject in front of a bright light like the setting sun, and manually adjust your camera settings so all you’re left with is a dark silhouette against a background of light. Check out this guide to learn all the ins and outs of silhouettes, Silhouette Photography 101: Master The Basics.
Lifestyle PhotographerShoot in hard light. Shooting in areas or times when there’s lots of bright light and shadows can make for an interesting photo with lots of contrast. For example, look for things that cast interesting shadows onto your scene such as window blinds or a fence. Then capture those shapes or patterns created by the shadows as they fall on your subject. For more info on this technique, take a look at hard light photography advice.
It’s not only about how to take professional photos. You should also learn how to edit photos like a professional.
Photoshop is the professional photographer’s best friend. Practically any image can benefit from some touch-ups, whether it’s cropping, brightness adjustments, color corrections, or other tweaks.
So it’s worth spending some time learning what the program is capable of. There are lots of helpful tutorials available online, including a bunch on the Adobe website.
If you don’t have access to Photoshop and aren’t looking to spend the money on it, there are many free Photoshop alternatives. One of the most popular is GIMP.
But no matter what photo editing software you use, there’s one rule that remains constant: you should use a light touch when making adjustments. Inexperienced photographers tend to go overboard during editing. Start with a preset look and make small adjustments to develop a consistent body of work. If you make too many drastic adjustments, the final result won’t look realistic and your touch-ups will be obvious.
Relying on the camera’s automatic settings is another thing that will hold you back when it comes to understanding how to take good pictures. While it may work fine at times, you won’t have nearly as much flexibility to get creative with your photography or handle unique situations.
Relying on the camera’s automatic settings is another thing that will hold you back when it comes to understanding how to take good pictures. While it may work fine at times, you won’t have nearly as much flexibility to get creative with your photography or handle unique situations.
For instance, if you are trying to take a silhouette, your camera may try to capture the wrong details and you’ll end up dimly lit subject against a blown out background. If you’re trying to shoot at night, it may give you an extra-long exposure when you don’t want it, and you’ll end up with a blurry mess. So spend some time familiarizing yourself with your camera’s settings, because it’s a critical step in learning how to make pictures look professional.
We’ve already covered some lighting equipment, but there’s one more piece of photography gear you should definitely consider adding to your arsenal if you want to know how to take professional photos.
You might think you don’t need a tripod if you have a steady hand and are comfortable with handheld shots. But a tripod allows you to try a variety of shooting techniques that you can’t do without one. Just a few examples include tethered photography, long exposures, or creating your own 3D images.
A tripod also lets you set up your shot and then take care of other aspects of the scene while keeping your camera ready to go. For example, you might want to line up a shot and then speak to a model, make lighting adjustments, or just wait for the perfect moment.
And you don’t have to spend much money to get a quality tripod. For some info on the variety that’s available, read up on these must-have portrait photography accessories.
Using the professional photography tips above, you should be able to vastly improve your results without spending any money. However, if you’re working with sorely outdated equipment and have the budget for some new gear, it might be time to upgrade your camera, lenses, and accessories. For some help deciding between all the options out there, take a look at these guides:
As high-quality camera phones have made photography more common, the value of a professional-looking photograph has only increased. People who are experienced in taking professional pictures make it look easy, but this is a skill you need to practice and hone if you want the best results. To take professional photos, it's important to fully understand all of the factors involved, from the lighting and framing to the settings on your camera. In this article, we discuss the value of a professional photograph, explain how to take a professional photo and offer tips to improve your photography skills.
Photography is one of the most versatile skills you can master, and you can apply the skill to nearly any field. In the modern business world, every organization needs to have a professional-looking website, and you should also take advantage of social media to help expand your reach and brand loyalty. When deciding how to market your business online, using professional photos can help you make a strong first impression on your audience.
The question, however, is how to get those photos. Paying for an outside photographer can be pricey, so learning how to take professional photographs yourself can help you provide your business with the high-quality pictures you need without adding to a project's budget. Taking your own professional photographs also provides you with full control over the photos available to you without needing to account for your photographer's availability.