Guest post by Sef Gojo Cruz
With spring knocking on our door, it is the perfect time to refresh your online photography portfolio. This is a great way for you to show off your photography skill to the world and this could also be your gateway to inspire people who are starting into photography.
There are some ways you can do to get your online portfolio started, a Facebook page, Instagram or Pinterest page will do. But you can even have your own website with good photography theme that really fits to your type of photography.
However, you can’t just take photos and post it to your online portfolio and wait for the magic to happen. You need creative ideas and at least basic knowledge of taking the right photos.
Taking pictures is easy but taking good pictures requires creativity and good eye to spot the great shot.
In this article, we will talk about some tips that will help you improve your outdoor photography.
1. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Direct sunlight can be your worst enemy. In most cases, you’ll wind up with awkward shadows and your subject will inevitably squint while looking at the camera. On top of that, direct sunlight can cause an incorrect white balance in auto-modes.
Instead, try to shoot a couple of hours before sunset during the golden hour or early in the morning. You’ll have much better light and your photos will have a natural warm glow.
2. Use shadows to your advantage
Another way to avoid the issues mentioned above is to shoot in the shade or wait for an overcast day. When you pair that with proper exposure and white balance, you can pull off an amazing looking photo.
Use clouds and trees to your advantage and look for a natural diffusion of light. It will give your photo an even lighting all around.
3. Adjust your focus manually
Most modern cameras have the ability to auto-focus. Unfortunately, when using the auto-focus mode, the camera will simply pick whatever is closest to the lens and focus on that. When you adjust your focus manually, you can choose what should be the main focal point of the photo.
If you’re shooting people or animals, try to focus on the eyes as they are a great focal point to choose.
4. Seek out movement
Capturing movement in your photos can add dynamism to your photos and make them more visually interesting. Even a subtle movement can make the photo more appealing so be on the lookout for those opportunities.
5. Move the subject off-center
This is a tried and tested tip that works in almost any situation. When you move your subject slightly off-center, it appears the subject is about to enter the open space in the center which adds energy to your photos.
6. Include a foreground subject
Taking photos of beautiful scenery is great but you’ll achieve a much better result if you add a foreground subject. It adds another layer of depth and scale to your photo which makes it instantly better.
Final Thoughts
You can spend many hours trying out the different settings on your camera and experimenting with them in the hopes of making your photos look great. But if you implement the tips above, you’ll save yourself some time and make your outdoor photos look great.
Guest post by Sef Gojo Cruz | Images via MaxPixel
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