Don't Always Just Point & Shoot

I'm going to try to start a mini series of simple photography tips right here on this blog. I figure that taking pictures is something that most people like to do. I hope to try to give some simple tips in how to take better pictures. If we take a look at some simple steps, it should give you some tools on how to make the best of, or even improve the pictures you take.

On that note: The "holidays" are near and we should plan to take some pictures. A lot of things happen in a year and as we all know, there may be somebody in your photos this year that may not be with us next year. And of course it is also a way of "going back" to a moment or a time of our lives. It would be nice to have a 'photographic' memory of the events and people we encounter. But since we don't, we take pictures.

First and foremost, get to know your camera. A lot of times, we don't even know the simple basics of how our camera works. It would be nice to just 'point-and-shoot', but we may be missing some opportunities in getting the most of your "memories". So, take some time to get to know your camera's settings. Read the manual that came with your camera. (If you are looking to buy a camera in the future, let me know so that I can discuss what your 'needs' are and also direct you in some sites for your particular choice.)

Second, take lots of pictures. This works best with digital cameras of course. If you keep snapping away, chances are you are more likely to capture moments that you thought you'd never get. You can also crop and edit your pictures later. Or develop only the pictures you want.

I'm not an expert, so I'm just going over the basics. I'm not going to make it too complicated but it should also be more about taking the pictures well.

I will be speaking more about digital picture taking but the most of the same rules apply to film camera taking as well.

Hopefully, this will be a chance to share ideas as well. Let's be open to the other ideas people have to offer. Or let's help to understand any questions that may arrive.

One more thing. This is kinda like: "learing the rules so that you can break them properly". I'm not very fond of 'breaking the rules' but in photography, as you will see, sometimes you see some very interesting and exciting (and even weird!) results. (See the photo above.)