If you’re a beginner photographer, check out our top 10 Beginner Photography Tips which summarise how to use your camera to take better photos.

Beginner Photography Tips

Here’s a list of our top 10 tips for beginner photographers:

1. Take lots of photos – how can you improve if you don’t go out and take loads of photos? Look at the photos you take and decide which you like and which you don’t, and also discover how different settings affect your photos.
2. Learn some basic rules of composition – you will no doubt have heard about the rules of thirds. It’s the first one we recommend you learn about and apply. Then start thinking about incorporating shapes into your photos, then diagonals and frames. By learning a few compositional rules you’ll stop yourself from snapping away without thinking how you are arranging elements within the photo.
3. Learn to use shutter priority – take control of shutter speed and you’ll be able to blur motion, or freeze action. In shutter priority mode the camera takes care of the rest.
4. Learn to use aperture priority – controlling aperture enables you to adjust depth of field. You’ll be able to blur the background or get everything in focus.
5. Change your angle of view – not every photo has to be taken at eye level. If you’re photographing kids get down on their level rather than shooting from above. Get down with the flowers, or try to get an aerial perspective on a scene by taking a birds eye view. This will make your photo more interesting.
6. Think about why you’re taking each photo – it should be to create more than a record of the scene, you should always be trying to take a great looking photo.
7. Forget about kit – the most important part of any camera is the 12 inches behind it. i.e. the beginner photographer’s brain. Keep your kit simple for now and learn how to use it really well. Discovering how to use your camera well and how to compose great photos is going to improve your photography more than buying a new lens.
8. Get inspiration – look at other photographers work for ideas and inspiration, Flickr is a great place to start.
9. Think about light – find out about hard light and soft light. Hard light is more dramatic, but soft light is better for portrait photos.
   
10. Show off your photos – show your photos to friends and family and share online. You’ll get useful feedback and a great buzz from good feedback!

Learn more on our Photography Courses.
by Andrew Mason.