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Photography tips, tricks, and techniques?

I'm an aspiring photographer, and looking for some basic tips on lighting, angles, etc. Thanks!

"Pictures are not taken they are made." Ansel Adams.

I believe the biggest mistake people make with a digital camera is to develop what I call the "machine gunner mentality" - take 300 pictures and hope a few turn out. This mindset is encouraged by the idea that, unlike film photography, digital photography has no costs. Obviously with film there is a cost for the film and for processing and printing. If you go out and take 300 lousy pictures and really have no idea why they're lousy what have you learned? Nothing except how to take 300 lousy pictures. If you shoot like this all you're really doing is taking snapshots. You aren't making a picture.

I encourage people to develop what I call the "sniper mentality" - one exposure, one good picture. When a scene catches your attention you need to resist the urge to release the shutter. Instead, learn to look at it standing, kneeling, sitting, maybe even lying on your belly or back. Move to the right. Move to the left. Get closer. Get farther away. Try a landscape composition. Try a portrait composition.

Take photography classes and learn about light, composition, exposure (ISO, f-stops, shutter speeds), depth of field. Then work on developing the skill needed to use that knowledge. Good photography requires thinking and thinking requires time.

If you are interested in studio type lighting its best to check out a few books on the subject. The late Monte Zucker was a Master Portrait Photographer so any of his books on lighting will be beneficial. Steve Bedell ( http://www.stevebedell.com ) is also a Master Photographer and his use of natural light is worth learning about.

The October 2009 issue of SHUTTERBUG was devoted to lighting and features reviews of equipment and several articles. "Studio In A Small Space" by Joe Farace should be especially interesting.

http://www.shutterbug.com

The September 2009 issue of RANGEFINDER was also about light and lighting techniques. The article "Face Facts" by Alice B. Miller is a must read for portrait photographers. It shows how to light square faces, round faces, long, angular faces. The article is really a plug for the book "Sculpting With Light: Lighting Techniques for Portrait Photographers" by Allison Earnest. http://www.rangefindermag.com A subscription is free. http://www.allisonearnestphotography.com

I sincerely believe that anyone interested in photography should subscribe to at least one photography magazine. Yes, they have a lot of advertising but the how-to articles and equipment reviews are worth it. RANGEFINDER is the "house organ" for the WPPI - Wedding & Portrait Photographers International but still worth having just for the photographers they profile. SHUTTERBUG is more "nuts & bolts".

By "angles" I hope you don't mean pictures where everything is tilted. That technique might occasionally add a certain "edginess" but in my opinion its way over done.

Read. Study. Think. Practice. Repeat daily.

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