Digital cameras are everywhere nowadays. Everybody has a phone. And thanks to social media it’s no longer a surprise to see people snapping pictures of almost everything they see, as well as themselves, almost everywhere. However, the quality of most photos remains subpar. In fact, most people don’t even come close to capturing the kind of images that their smartphone is capable of capturing. There is an art to taking great pictures. But anyone can master it with some basic principles that will help you take better photos in any situation.

It’s actually pretty easy to up your photography game with a few smart tips and techniques. Here’s all you need to know to make your Instagram feed stand out

Use the Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is one of the most fundamental rules for taking better pictures. It is especially important for portraits because it makes your subject look better than if the image was put in the center. The idea behind the Rule of Thirds is to divide the picture into nine equal parts and place the subject on one of the four intersection points. You can mark these points in your viewfinder or on the screen of your camera to help you position your subject. The photos will have a more interesting and balanced look since most of the time we place the subject in the center, where the action is happening in the frame.

Hold your breath

If you want your subject to look sharp, you need to hold your breath while aiming and pressing the shutter. This will enable you to take longer and steadier shots, which are especially important in low light. It’s also recommended if you’re photographing children. If you’re photographing a landscape, you don’t have to hold your breath, as long as you have a tripod. Just make sure you aren’t moving the camera while pressing the shutter.

Know your ISO

The higher the ISO, the less light you’ll need to get a good exposure. If you’re photographing in low light, you can bump up your ISO to a higher level. However, this will also increase the amount of digital noise in your image. That’s why it’s important to know your camera’s ISO range and use a low ISO whenever you can. The lower the ISO, the less noise there will be in the image, which is crucial if you’re photographing something that must be perfectly clean, like products for sale. If you’re shooting outdoors on a sunny day, you can probably get away with using a low ISO. If you’re taking pictures indoors or outside on a cloudy day, you’ll probably need to bump up that ISO.

Experiment with shutter speed

Shutter speed is the length of time the shutter is open when you take a photo. The longer the shutter is open, the more light you’ll be able to get in the image. This is important because a higher shutter speed lets less light into the camera and will result in a sharper image with less blur. If the shutter speed is too low, the photo will be blurry, especially if the subject is moving. The tricky part with shutter speed is that it’s inversely proportional to ISO. The higher the ISO, the less light is required to create a good exposure. The longer shutter speed lets more light into the camera and vice versa. The ideal situation would be to have a low ISO and a high shutter speed.

Take photos in RAW

Most cameras have an option to save photos in RAW format. RAW files have more details and less noise than JPEG images, but they’re much larger in size. This means you can’t just save the file to your computer like you would with a JPEG. Before you can do anything with a RAW file, you must convert it to a format that the computer understands, such as JPEG or TIFF. This is why it’s very important to use external hard drives for storing your photos. Internal memory might not be enough to store all the RAW images. If you’re using JPEG format, you might want to convert some of your images to RAW to get better results when editing them.

Don’t be afraid to hike

Now, we’re not saying you should go off into the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on your back and a camera. However, it’s important to get out of your comfort zone and experience the world around you. This is the best way to take awesome pictures and learn more about photography. Some of the best photographers in the world started their journeys by exploring the surroundings where they live. You’ll notice so many things you’ve never seen before, and you can photograph them the way you want to. You can hike a trail near your home, walk on a beach, or even go on a regular walk in the park. There is so much opportunity for photography just by being outside and exploring your surroundings.

Conclusion

A picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s more true now than ever before. The images we take will be preserved for many years to come – they’ll be there to remind us of the past, show off our achievements, and inspire others. With these tips, you’ll be able to take better pictures and fully appreciate the art of photography.