Professional Photography Tips

I have been asked many times to write an article about professional photography tips. Now I found some time to share with you some important tips which I think will help you to be a better photographer.

I won’t give you too many technical details. We all know they are not everyone’s cup of tea and might be a bit boring. So here are some practical tips that you can put to use immediately. Enjoy!

  • Shoot RAW. This is probably the most important tip. When you shoot in Jpeg format you will loose quality when processing your photos. I know RAW files are big but storing data is much easier these days with online cloud storage facilities or affordable external discs.
  • Buy the best possible equipment you can afford and keep it. Upgrading equipment is addictive and costly in the end. So ask yourself if you merely fancy it or really need it. If you need a tele lens to shoot weddings from a distance, fair enough. But upgrading your lens for a bit more sharpness is probably not something that will make you a better photographer.
  • Lens sharpness is overrated! Almost every lens is sharp enough at f8 or f5.6, don’t spend thousands of pounds on a lens to shoot a bit sharper and contrasty at larger apertures.
  • Learn about light. Light makes photos. It is very easy to take great photos with natural light coming through the window. Never shoot portraits when the sun is bright without any fill light unless you are after a lot of sharp shadows.
  • Invest in professional lighting equipment. It is absolutely possible to take great photos with only one Speedlight. However, it is limiting when you need a stronger light source or would like to create more dramatic effects.
  • Buy a reflector! It is cheap and absolutely a necessary tool. If you buy a bigger size reflector you can also use it as a background.
  • Develop an interest in arts! It helps to visit an art gallery and observe what makes the artwork special. Seeing work of famous painters or photographers or just being mindful of great architecture will inspire you. I feel very lucky in Cambridge as I m surrounded by fantastic architecture and learnt a lot from it in terms of composition!
  • Simplicity is the key. Try not to put  unnecessary elements in your composition. It is distracting and easily avoidable with a bit of clever framing.
  • Learn how to use your camera effectively. Cameras are more capable than ever now. You can shoot at 12800 ISO and still get acceptable results. Learn how to compensate exposure and bracketing.
  • Don’t be lazy and leave too much to be corrected in Photoshop. Using a reflector is much easier to correct the light on your model’s face. Correcting in Photoshop is time-consuming. After all, time is money!
  • Always have your camera with you. You never know when you see something special and once it’s gone it’s gone. Life is impermanent!