When we talk about photographs and the impact of photography, it's normal to focus on the subject of the pictures.
From faces, buildings, actions, emotions and memories, photography can capture all we ever wanted to express instantly even when we say nothing at all.
Without saying a word, a photo can transport us back in time and make us smile or cry in just a split second.
We can resonate whenever we hear Ed Sheeran singing these lines from his hit song, Photograph:
We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
And time's forever frozen, still...
If we look at the other side of the equation, another person also deserves our attention. It's none other than the photographer who holds the camera.
For those who are learning photography as a beginner or those who aspire to be a better photographer, you are in the right place.
In this article, we will look at five amazing tips to take your photography skills to the next level.
Tip 1: Review & Explore Different Photography Effects & Styles
It's easy to think that photography is just a series of repeated actions, where you focus on something and just hit the shutter button.
Technically, that's not wrong. But what makes photography so interesting and dynamic is due to several reasons.
Firstly, you can experiment with different lighting effects, angles and compositions when you are taking the pictures.
Secondly, there are different photography styles that you can explore from time to time, depending on your interests too.
Some examples include:
- Fashion photography
- Portrait photography
- Wedding photography
- Wildlife photography
- Food photography
- Sports photography
- Landscape photography
- Street photography
- Photojournalism
- Architectural photography
- Time-lapse photography and many more
When you attempt to take photographs of different styles, you are training yourself to develop your sensitivity to different angles and focus.
For instance, you have to pay more attention to facial expressions and displayed emotions when it comes to wedding photography. On the other hand, you need to focus on the composition of structures, harmony and colours when you are taking photos of buildings and monuments under architectural photography.
In other words, you will never run out of things to photograph and things to learn as you photograph!
Photo by Szabo Viktor on Unsplash
Tip 2: Read Books on Various Photography Techniques
If you love reading about other photographers' experiences and also learning certain photography frameworks through books, we got you covered!
Here are four book recommendations that you should consider reading.
For those who love phone photography
- The Ultimate Guide to iPhone Photography: Learn How to Take Professional Shots and Selfies the EasyWay by Yasseen Tasabehji and Moaz Tasabehji
Through this book, both iPhone and Android owners will surely learn many ways to maximize their phone camera in terms of framing shots, lighting, camera angles and even how to edit the taken images.
This book has a total of 30 guided lessons and provides as many as 100 photos for your reference.
If you aim to master the art of taking selfies or taking aesthetic shots of your favourite destinations before you post them online, this book is certainly for you!
For those who love street photography
- The Street Photography Challenge: 50 Tips, Tricks and Ideas to Reinvent Your Photography by David Gibson
Street photography has gradually gained a strong global following these days.
Have you heard of the photoblog titled " Humans of New York" which caused a sensation on Facebook in the 2010s?
The Humans of New York features street portraits and interviews on the streets of New York City. It's a project that was initiated by Brandon Stanton, an American photographer.
If you love to capture people and happenings on the street, you can kickstart your journey with this book. This book guides you on how to start through various prompts and cards where you get an image example. For instance, a gentleman who is crossing a path.
For those who love portrait photography
- The Photographer's Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone by Lindsay Adler
Taking pictures of people can be quite tricky. Especially if you can't seem to get the "model" to have the pose that you have in mind.
This book helps you to get into the details. It goes deep and wide when it comes to creating the "picture-perfect" moment.
From teaching you about the right hand posing methods to the right posture as well as the facial expressions for different themes, you will soon develop the skill to discern which pose works best for different people.
For absolute beginners who just bought their first digital camera
- How To Photograph Absolutely Everything by Tom Ang
This book is suitable for beginners and for those who want to have an overview of the basic aspects of photography.
You will get a glimpse of how photography elements like composition, focus, light, and colour come hand in hand to create a good image.
Not only that, this book also gives readers many tips on different photography styles as well as how to edit and crop images after taking pictures.
Have an overview of what it takes to master photography from scratch.
Tip 3: Watch Photography Tutorials Online
For audiovisual learners, we have something in store for you too!
If you love learning photography through YouTube tutorials, here are three YouTube channels that you should follow and subscribe to.
Wazari Wazir
The first on our recommendation list is none other than our very own renowned and experienced photographer from Malaysia, Mr. Wazari Wazir.
From 2001 until today, Wazari works as a full-time photographer for the Department of Information (Jabatan Penerangan Negara) under the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital.
Some of his work assignments include taking official photos from the palace or during national celebrations.
His Youtube videos usually centre around photography tips and basic photography tips and he mostly speaks in Malay during his videos.
Julia Trotti
If you are looking for a balance of a focus on portrait photography, Photoshop tutorials and camera reviews, you should check out this channel by Julia Trotti, a portrait photographer from Sydney, Australia.
Some of her most viewed videos include:
- How to Shoot in Manual Mode for Beginners + Examples
- 6 Reasons Your Photos Are Not SHARP
- Master Natural Backlight to Improve Your Portrait Photography
- 5 Reasons the 35mm Lens is Perfect for Travel Photography
Image by tirachardz on Freepik
Faizal Westcott
If you love street photography and travel documentary vibes, this channel is certainly your cup of tea!
Faizal is an Indonesian American who travels extensively and uses his channel to connect with the photography community.
Dive deep into different categories of photography and the future career prospects in the industry.
Tip 4: Attend Photography Courses/Workshops
Another way to improve your photography skills is to look for short photography courses and workshops near you. It is a good way to put what you have learned theoretically into actual practice.
Here are three places that offer short photography courses and workshops.
Adam Tan Photography Academy
At this academy, you can take a basic photography course which consists of in-house lessons and practical lessons.
From time to time, they also offer workshops on slow-shutter photography, journalism, street photography and smart photography.
This academy is located at Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Beyond Photography Academy
Beyond Photography Academy offers a series of photography courses and online certification photography courses.
Some examples include fashion photography, product photography, flash photography, and outdoor photography for beginners to advanced learners.
This academy is located at Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Canon Malaysia
Canon Malaysia is a reputable corporation that regularly organises photography workshops and masterclasses at different locations in Malaysia.
Some of the past workshops that were held in 2022 include Canon Masterclass with Johnson Wee (wedding photography), Planning For Event Photography with Edwin Lay, as well as the Basic Photography Workshop at Penang with Canon Electro-Optical System (EOS) trainer CJ Tan.
Interested in pursuing photography during your tertiary education? Discover where you can study photography at different learning institutions in Malaysia.
Tip 5: Learn Under An Experienced Tutor/ Photographer
We have come to our final tip to enhance your photography skills.
Some of you might prefer a more flexible and personalised approach to master photography at your own pace.
Perhaps, you are picking photography as a new hobby and would love to learn it without a rigid structure. Perhaps, you prefer to learn it online due to other commitments.
Fret not, we got the perfect solution for you!
We highly recommend you to learn photography from an experienced home tutor or online tutor.
Image by Freepik
At Superprof, you can easily find one in a few simple steps.
First, head to the Superprof Malaysia homepage to select your photography as your desired subject and indicate if you prefer home tutoring or online tutoring.
Second, refine your search by indicating the maximum budget of your hourly rate (for example, RM50 an hour) and current learning level (beginner to advanced)
Third, start browsing the tutors' profiles and reviewing their basic information (teaching/industrial experience, teaching methodology, area of specialisation and past reviews.
Finally, after you have decided on who to pick, you can contact the tutor directly via their profile.
See, learning photography has never been so easy!
We hope these five tips will enable you to make consistent progress as you are learning photography.
"It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things. But in photography, everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary." - David Bailey
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