10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Photography

By Geoff Harris

We all want to improve our photography. However, sometimes the technical stuff can feel overwhelming. Fortunately there are many ways to improve as a photographer without going anywhere near a camera manual. Here are ten of my top tips for doing just that…

Tip no. 1: Run your eye around the four sides of the camera viewfinder just before you press the shutter button

composition, Camera shake, handholding, viewfinfer, upside down, image, photograph, veiwpoint, zone, Photography project, vertical, horizontal, landscape and portrait,

Every part of a composition is important. Anything that shouldn’t be in a shot will detract from the overall effect.

A common mistake when composing a photo is to concentrate on the centre and not think about the edges of the frame. A photo that’s a considered whole is more likely to be successful than one that isn’t. Running your eye around the edge of the viewfinder (or LCD) means you’ll be more likely to notice things that are creeping into the picture space that shouldn’t be there. You’ll need to recompose, but that extra bit of effort will be worth it. Promise.

Tip no. 2: Support your lens when handholding to avoid camera shake

Lenses can be heavy pieces of equipment, particularly telephotos. If you don’t support the lens with one hand it will have a tendency to tip forwards. This will increase the likelihood of camera shake ruining your images.

Tip no. 3: Turn your camera upside down

Buttercups growing in a meadow at Walltown recreation site (NY 669659), Northumberland National Park, England, Camera shake, handholding, viewfinfer, upside down, image, photograph, veiwpoint, zone, Photography project, vertical, horizontal, landscape and portrait,

If an image still works upside down you can feel more confident that it’s successful.

Well, perhaps not when you’re shooting. But reviewing an image upside down is a surprisingly effective way to see whether a composition has worked. You see the relationships of shape and colour more objectively than when the image is the right way up.

Tip no. 4: Change your viewpoint

Don’t just shoot at eye-level. That’s boring. Try shooting at ground level, from above, looking up, looking down; don’t get stuck shooting at same height that we see the world day after day.

Tip no. 5: Get out of your comfort zone

Actor dressed in Georgian costumes for a themed event at Belsay Hall, Northumberland, England, Camera shake, handholding, viewfinfer, upside down, image, photograph, veiwpoint, zone, Photography project, vertical, horizontal, landscape and portrait,

I prefer shooting landscapes, but know that shooting different subjects helps to improve my understanding of photography.

Being stuck in a rut doesn’t do much for your creativity. If you mainly shoot landscapes try shooting portraits and vice versa. Travelling is inspirational because everything is new and fresh. However, we can’t always be travelling. Try shooting in unfamiliar locations in your local neighbourhood. To mix things up still further start shooting in black and white if you’ve never done so before.

Tip no. 6: Invite constructive criticism

Being criticised can be a toe-curling experience. However, valid criticism is always good for you. How else are you likely to improve if you don’t know where you’re going wrong? Family and friends generally aren’t the right people to turn to for this. You’ll find they spare punches in order to avoid hurting your feelings (even if you’re brave enough to take it on the chin). A camera club is a good source of knowledgeable people who will generally be more than willing to offer friendly, but objective, criticism.

Tip no. 7: Set yourself a project

Mertoun Bridge over the river Tweed near St Boswells in the Scottis Borders region. Architect: James Slight, Camera shake, handholding, viewfinfer, upside down, image, photograph, veiwpoint, zone, Photography project, vertical, horizontal, landscape and portrait,

I enjoy shooting projects. This image is one from a sequence shot along a long-distance trail.

It’s all too easy to run out of ideas after a while. Setting yourself a project for a certain period of time is a good way to get going again. Project themes you could try include colour, action, new growth, time. Opening a dictionary at random and basing a project on the first word you see is an effective, if sometimes challenging, way to start.

Tip no. 8: Pretend there’s space for only one image on your memory card

We’ve all done it, shot hundreds and hundreds of shots in the hope that one or two will be okay. However, this reduces photographic success to mere chance. Set yourself the challenge of shooting just one image during a photography session. Don’t rush into pressing the shutter button but spend time thinking about that one shot. Carefully consider how the shot should be composed as well as what you need to do in terms of exposure to achieve the effect you’re after.

Tip no. 9: Get in closer

Face of the Columbian artist, Fernando Botero's cat sculpture, currently situated in Rambla del Raval, Barcelona, Camera shake, handholding, viewfinfer, upside down, image, photograph, veiwpoint, zone, Photography project, vertical, horizontal, landscape and portrait,

Filling the frame with this sculpture of a cat head meant I cropped out irrelevant details in the immediate surroundings.

Compose a shot. Now get in closer. Does this improve the shot? Filling the frame with your subject will make an image more dramatic. Don’t overdo it though. If your camera can no longer focus you may be too close!

Tip no. 10: Shoot both vertical and horizontal

Landscape shots should be shot horizontally and portraits vertically. Right? Not necessarily. Try shooting a horizontal and vertical version of a composition. Surprisingly often shooting in the ‘wrong’ orientation for a subject is just as, if not more, effective than shooting in the ‘right’ orientation.

To learn more about digital photography why not consider taking one of my 4 week online courses on photography. An Introduction to Digital Photography Course or Making Money from Your Photography.

Geoff Harris

I am a journalist and photographer and currently work as the Deputy Editor of Amateur Photographer (AP) - http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk the oldest weekly photographic magazine in the world. Before that I served as the editor of Digital Camera, Britain's best-selling photography magazine, for five years. During my time as editor it became the UK's top selling photo monthly and won Print Publication of the Year at the 2013 British Media Awards. As well as being lucky enough to get paid to write about photography, I've been fortunate to interview some of the greatest photographers in the world, including Elliott Erwitt, Don McCullin, Martin Parr, Terry O'Neill and Steve McCurry. This has been a wonderful learning experience and very influential on my photography. Beyond writing, I am a professional portrait, travel and documentary photographer, and reached the finals of the 2016 Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year competition. I am a Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society and hope to take my Associateship whenever I can find the time. In addition I write about well being/personal development and antiques collecting for a range of other titles, including BlueWings, the in-flight magazine of Finn Air.

Stay updated

Receive free updates by email including special offers and new courses.

You can unsubscribe at any time

Photography

Related posts

Our best selling courses

Awards & Accreditations

  • CPD Accredited (provider 50276)
  • Good Web Guide
  • Red Herring Winner
  • Education Investor Awards 2021 - Finalist
  • Royal Horticultural Society
  • Digital Education Awards 2023 Winner for Digital Health and Wellbeing Learning Product of the Year
  • Digital Education Awards 2023 Winner for Adult Home Learning Product of the Year