Tips to Improve Your Photography

You are a novice photographer who takes a lot of pictures, but something constantly fails, and you need help to get the results you want. This often happens at the beginning of the journey of mastering our craft, and it is even essential to say that it happens to experienced photographers. Let's work out what steps you can take to improve the quality of your pictures. You've certainly read a lot about how posed photos look less advantageous than photos taken in the natural or natural flow of things, but if there is such a problem, I would still advise focusing more on the staging of the shot or subject.

It may complicate the photography process, but trust me, you will be pleased with the result! You will improve the quality of your photos many times over! To do this, think in advance about the story of the photo shoot and think in advance about the poses of the subject, his clothes, and props that may be useful to you.

Of course, the final stage of any photo session is post-processing. Luminar Neo photo editor will help you make your photos better. It has an easy-to-use interface and lots of tools, so you won't regret it!

The storyline, or to put it simply, the story

Talk to your client beforehand and find his preferences, what effect he wants to see in the pictures, and what his favourite book or movie is. What is this for? Perhaps your subject is a charming blonde who can't stand flowers, and you take her to a botanical garden. The result is a failure in advance. And consider the reverse situation. Your client is a big fan of the fantasy Harry Potter series of books and movies. On the eve of New Year's Eve, it will be appropriate to offer to organize shooting in an open snow-covered area, having prepared in advance the Gryffindor scarves and robes. If we are talking about a more realistic shooting, I recommend you come and familiarize yourself with the area beforehand. For example, the story of a lovers' walk on the beach could have the following sequence:

• The beginning of the shoot - the lovers meet on the water's edge, capture their emotions, and catch a sense of awe, first touches;
• Middle - funny shots of playing in the water, uncomplicated manipulations with the sand, joint activity;
• The finale - portrait shots, or photos from the back against the background of the receding sun.

So simply, you'll know what to do in each subsequent minute of your photo shoot.

Concentration on the object

The subject of your shot can be a living person or an inanimate object, depending on the order or your creative idea. To get your hands on it, practice in your spare time. Ask someone close to you to pose for you, or use the services of models from appropriate agencies. Photograph many different people to understand the strengths of different types of people.

Of course, remember to practice on an inanimate object. It can be absolutely anything. You can start with your own apartment and take pictures of everything. Such a skill will be helpful to you, for example, for shooting commercials.

Props

Let's talk specifically about props. If you have portrait photography, using props, you can make a lot of pictures with one person and even one background, but with different props, which will create a totally different mood and effect. For example, a photo of a girl against a white hydrangea bush can be varied with the following props options:

• Soap bubbles, which will add a playful mood;
• Spraying water on the flowers in the same situation will create a fresh effect;
• A hat with a wide brim can convey a sense of mystery, and other options.

The object's clothing

This is one of those nuances you should pay special attention to! The appearance of your object must fit the concept or idea of the photo or, in general, is appropriate. The task is simple, you need to approve in advance your client's closet, or parts thereof, which will be involved in the process of photographing.

By the way, a good way to help yourself and your clients - is to buy some medium size capsule things or some exciting scarves, hats, mittens (for winter shots), and other things to build up a closet you can offer your clients.

Posing

Work is up to standard, but you've customized poses for your clients. You can find many articles on the subject, but if you directly follow their advice, you'll deprive your work of individuality. Offer your work to your clients - this will significantly simplify the photo session process and speed it up. In addition, after the basic staged shots are taken - try to catch your client in motion, which will give you additional, and possibly very successful shots.

The perfect time for a photoshoot

If you are still at the beginning of your journey and don't have time to buy expensive equipment, the ideal time for you is morning and evening outdoors (ideally overcast) if you want soft natural light; and shoot in the middle of the day for a sharp and rude shadow effect.

Closing thoughts

As you have already understood from the above, your primary task for a successful result is to plan and prepare in advance. These tips will help you improve your pictures' quality and gain confidence as a professional.

In this article, we have talked about taking pictures but not post-processing, which is also very important! To quickly and easily improve your photos, you can use Skylum's photo editor Luminar Neo. We're sure it will surprise you.