Photography tips

The rule of thirds states that the most pleasing composition puts the main subject a third of the way into the frame. A useful way to think about it is using this grid: Basically, you should try to align your main subject with one of the gridlines–or, better yet, put it at the intersection of the gridlines, known as power points. If you can do this, you’ll end up with a photo that looks very balanced. For instance, I positioned my main subject along a power point for this photo: If you have another important element in your photo (such as a horizon line), it can be helpful to put that along a rule of thirds line, too. You’ll ultimately end up with a very satisfying shot! Related Post: 7 Amazing Composition Techniques You Must Use

Flicking through a wedding album, you will find that some of the images are black and white. The photographer might use this desaturation to break up the monotony of colour. It is also a great tool for expressing emotions and emphasising contrast. Black and white images help to cut distractions from unfavourable colours and show the viewer where to focus in the image. Textures and patterns are great to show off through this monotone. Use it to your advantage today.

Photographing outdoors can save you from a lot of stress regarding low light conditions, having to use high ISO, or not being able to get far enough from the subject. But it also comes with its own set of challenges. When photographing outdoor weddings, you need to deal with uneven lighting, distractions in the background, and the weather. When choosing the time of the day for capturing a wedding, it is important to take the lighting into account. You also have to prepare for unexpected weather conditions. Check out our article to read the best tips about outdoor wedding photography!

Photography is a creative art. As photographers, we should embrace motion blur as much as we worship sharpness. With ICM, you intentionally introduce motion blur in your image by moving your camera while the shutter is open. Sounds weird, right? The results are often unpredictable yet artistic. To take an image with ICM, move your camera as you press the trigger. You can move it up and down, left and right, twist it clockwise and anti-clockwise. There is no rule to it! Try this out: find a scene with plenty of vertical objects or structures (e.g. trees, buildings, etc), take an image the way you normally do. Except this time press the shutter release while moving your camera up and down repeatedly. Looks cool? Now try moving it at a different speed!

Vertorama = vertical + panorama. Make sense now? You can create awesome images with a jaw-dropping perspective, a little bit like using a fisheye lens. Instead of panning horizontally, you now pan vertically, using the horizon as the axis. Vertorama works well in indoors and places with intricate details on the floor and the ceiling, e.g. in a church! To begin with, tilt your camera to point at the ground to include the foreground objects. Then, tilt it a bit higher making sure there is at least ⅓ overlapping with the last image. Do this until you have included the ceiling. Keep your focus and exposure consistent with the method mentioned above in panorama. Stitch the images in post-processing (e.g. Photoshop) to create mind-blowing vertorama!

There are times when your camera just couldn’t fit the entire composition you want into an image. Fear not, create a panorama to fit all in 🙂 To shoot for a panorama, you need to use a technique called horizontal panning. Stand still (don’t ever move while panning!) and hold your camera steadily by supporting the bottom of the camera with one hand while the other on the shutter release. Use your body as the long axis, twist on your waist to the right (or the left first, either way) and take an image. This would be the scene on the far right of your panorama. Next, twist slightly back to the left and take another image so that the second image overlaps the first image by at least ⅓. Repeat this step until you have captured the whole scene. To keep focus and exposure consistent in all the images, focus in AF and shoot in aperture priority mode. Take note of the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Now switch your camera to manual mode and dial in the settings. Lastly, switch your lens to manual focus to keep the AF setting. For the grand finale, stitch the images in software like Photoshop to create an awesome panorama!