How to take photos like a pro

Nowadays, everyone fancies themselves as a photographer – and why not? It has never been easier to take top quality images, and selfies, make them look pro, and share them with the world. Gone are the days of spending all day in a dark room to get the perfect picture, or agonising over a developing film just in case nothing comes out how you wanted it to.

In 2017, we upload 1.8 billion images to the internet every single day. We can take an unlimited amount to make sure we get the right angle, and we have every kind of filter and editing tool imaginable available to us on our phones, tablets and PCs. Quite literally anyone can take an image of anything and make it look like it is exhibition worthy or at least worthy of being printed out for a custom photo book! But with so many budding photographers saturating Instagram, how do you make your images stand out? We have some great tips for you, so scroll down to find out how to become the next David LaChapelle.

Ditch the flash

It might be tempting to use the flash to get the optimum amount of light into your image and onto your subject but the result can often be harsh and unforgiving, particularly when photographing people. Another disadvantage of using the flash is that you tend to lose a lot of detail such as shadowing, nuances of light and interesting textures. Ditch the flash, keep your hand still and be impressed with the beautiful results of the natural light around you and the effect it has on the subject.

Utilise your zoom

Many people seem to be scared of zooming in and whilst it is true that sometimes some resolution is lost, knowing how to frame your image through the zoom and to cut out unnecessary objects is an art. Focussing in tight on your subject pulls everything else in the image together and will get you better results than just taking a general, wide angle image.

Depth of field

Now, this might all sound a bit too technical, but with modern cameras on Samsungs and iPhones you will find that they come equipped with easy-to-use depth of field features. Have you ever seen an image where the subject is crystal clear, yet the background is blurred? That has been taken using depth of field settings. You can take a picture of the most boring subject, but if you are using depth of field, you will end up with a first class image and lots of compliments.

Whilst we aren’t saying that you will turn into Ansel Adams or David Bailey overnight, following these tips when you take photos will help you create something that is sure to stand out from the crowd.

The editorial unit