- Throw away your phone.
- Leave your DSLR at home.
- Ditch your point-and-shoot.
Easy… Right?!
Between photoshoots, digital campaigns and Instagram posts, we take a LOT of photos. And here at Bonfire5, we hold each and every one to a pretty high standard. Because in case you didn’t know, 71.7% of all photos taken are crap. Why 71.7? Because it’s a nice, odd number. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the last 11 pictures on your phone… I’ll wait…
See, I told you! Now that we’re all on the same page, we can re-evaluate my numbers. As I was saying, 89.5% of you don’t know how to take a good photograph. But lucky for you, whether you’re using your phone, a DSLR or your extremely convenient point-and-shoot camera, I’m here to help. Because it’s not about what you use to take a photo, it’s about how you use it.
Most modern-day cameras do a great job evaluating the scene and ambient light in order to capture the best picture. Most phones have bigger and better image sensors than ever. And the big three (Canon, Nikon and Sony) are churning out newer, faster and better models yearly. So clearly it’s not your camera’s fault. It’s yours.
Harsh, I know. But there’s hope for you! I won’t boggle your brain with terms like F/stop, exposure triangle or DoF. Even though these are extremely helpful and should be learned, this message is about something larger. Fixing you. Yes, you.
How do we go about that, you ask? You did ask, right?
Here are my three easy steps for taking better photos:
- Be mindful of why you’re taking a photo. What point are you making or what emotion are you trying to convey?
- Make sure you’re looking behind your subject. Is there a tree branch or a light pole sticking out of their head? Move them over slightly or better yet, move yourself. A step to the left or right usually solves this issue.
- Be in the correct position. If you’re photographing a small child, get on their level. Same with family pets. Get down and find that interesting angle.
And hey, because I’m feeling generous, here’s a bonus tip:
- Get close. No, closer. Stop leaving tons of room above your subject’s head. Make your subject the largest thing in the photo. Don’t make them compete with everything else in the shot.
