The top twenty phototips that you should know

• 20 spots – twenty tips •
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Learning photography is about…

Doing the simple things really well. Although there are a lot of things to learn, the important ones are a few things you do over and over again. If you improve them you will automatically improve your photography.

Work on these to make the biggest improvement

1. A proper stance will provide a proper, steady hand-held camera position.
2. Go everywhere with your camera. Use it every day – improve every day.
3. Learn with what you’ve got, better equipment will not improve your skill.
4. Three essentials – camera, lens, tripod. Learn to use them all equally well.
5. Get close, fill the frame, your shots will probably be better.
6. Think about every shot before you push the shutter button.
7. Count to two before taking your camera away from your face.
8. Never just look at others’ photos – do a critique every time.
9. Work on your composition skills at least as hard as your technical skills.
10. Be inspired by other photographers, but develop your own style.
11. Discuss photography as much as possible with other photographers.
12. Look for contrasts in colour, light, shape and other variables.
13. Declutter your shots, show it as simply as possible.
14. Use natural light as much as possible – get to know its properties.
15. The rule of thirds works more than 95% of the time.
16. Try different perspectives, points of view and heights at each scene.
17. Vary shutter speeds, ISO and aperture settings to experiment with exposure.
18. Make people, and especially faces, a central study in your photography.
19. Great photos can be found everywhere – you just need to look out for them.
20. Be completely obsessed with the study of light and the language of light.

If you pay attention to these important tips you will find your photography will develop.

Photography becomes a way of life, but don’t make it the only thing in your life. You need other interests to bring new perspectives into your photography.

Most of all enjoy what you are doing. Photography should be fun… don’t take it too seriously. Laugh a lot.

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By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.

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