How To Take A Really Good Photo
Old fashion bicycle with bright yellow flowers, ready for a ride!
The first thing I want to teach you in taking really good photos is to say “Photo” and not “Picture.” Someone once said that in something I read, and you know what? It really makes sense! Pictures do not have to be something taken with a camera. It could be a painting, a chalkboard drawing, sketching with a pencil, these could be pictures. But a photo, ah yes, a photo is quite different.
I remember taking photos as a youngster. I had to put the film into the camera, look through the view window, ask everyone to say the familiar, “Cheese!” and then snap of the camera! Once the role was done, it was off to a local store for development. Patience was the name of the game, which was so hard as I was eager to see how the photos turned out, hopefully without a finger on the photo or someone blinking or something else.
Enjoying the ocean in Newport Beach, California.
Is it nice today we do not have to wait? Seriously, we can take photos and print them out on a colored printer, or save them to the cloud. What I think is so fun about photos today is to share them on social media, with friends or family. It is so super easy! I want to share with you some tips to get a “Wow” from your loved ones.
Lets look at a smart phone first:
Smart phones have come a long way, baby! Personally I think some of them are even better than a DSLR camera (digital single lens reflex). Most of the time you just open your favorite camera app and push the button to take the photo. But that is only the beginning. Have you heard of editing?
I think editing is one of the most fun parts next to finding something to take a photo of. There are many photo editing apps, like PIcMonkey, Snapseed, BeFunky (was my personal favorite until they started charging for their app) and others. Sometimes your phone has its own editing software (I have Samsung and it has its own editing software).
Before you edit, what would you like to take a photo of? Find something you enjoy, or just practice around your house. You can either put the subject in the center of the photo or on the left or right side of the photo. Then have fun editing! You can enhance the color, change the coloring to black and white or sepia (very popular), or just play with the tint or temperature controls. Have fun!
A rose for you, my dear!
A Camera, like a DSLR:
This is one you can get creative with the different gages. But for times sake, just use the “Auto” button. It will take a very good photo and make all the necessary adjustments without your input. Most DSLR cameras and even point and shoot have s/d cards, which are small, square sized cards that will fit in your camera and hold your precious photos on it.
Once you take your magnificent photo(s), you can take the s/d card out and insert it into your computer. It should upload, or look at the directory it is in on your computer. Sometimes the directory will show up and ask you what to do. You can use any photo editing software program on your computer, some are free and some are not. Personally, I use Lightroom and it is not free, but I love it as it gives me the freedom to be as creative as I want to be, at a cost.
You can save them on your computer, on the cloud or a flashdrive.
Then share your masterpiece on social media or print!
The ocean offers amazing views from this perspective.
I just gave you an easy way to take photos. It can be more complicated, such as filters on the photos, taking manual photos on your camera and more. Taking really good photos is simple and easy, no matter what your subject is or how much experience you have taking photos. The point is to have fun and create precious memories for yourself and your loved ones.
Let us know what photos you like to take and share those on social media. Feel free to tag us so we can see your masterpieces!
It is fun to change the color of an image!