New! 6 Photography Tips for Anyone, Even the Laziest Photographers.

Written by NYC wedding photographer Angela Cappetta.

As I was down the street of my great city, I see many amateurs shooting on the streets throughout the course of my day. I am so happy people have been learning how to shoot, either as an old hobby or a new one. Perhaps they are even rekindling an old passion. But, without exception, these are things I see across the board, even in my own classes where I teach on the university level on photo technique and shooting in NYC. Important to note, that whether or not someone is using film, phone, or DSLR, these are tips we can all get behind.

To enumerate, here are 6 basic, rookie mistakes I see almost every day when I see amateurs shooting in NYC.

New! 6 Photography Tips

1) Bad Positioning

You have to frame the shot in your frame optimally. With very little work you can perfect this. Bring the picture to your camera, not the other way around. You have to teach yourself where to stand for the optimal point of view.

 

2) Pulling the camera from your eye too fast

After you click, the shutter is still moving, albeit a negligible amount. So, do not swipe the camera away from your eye until you hear the shutter close. If you pull it away too fast you risk losing sharpness by causing motion. An otherwise perfectly good photograph will be ruined because you aren’t patient enough to wait 1/125 of a second. Try this exercise: when you bring the tool to your eye, take a deep inhale. Hold your breath then click the shutter. When you hear the shutter fully close, exhale slowly. Once the exhale is complete, then and only then, slowly lower your camera. Jerking motions are to be avoided while shooting.

3) Not using your body

I don’t know about you, but I’m physically exhausted after a day of shooting. This is because I use my entire body while I shoot. I bend, kneel, squat and steadily raise and lower myself on tip toes when I shoot. You cannot stay in the same position all the time when you photograph. Otherwise, your pictures will have no depth variation. This simply will not do.

4) Fingers in the wrong place

Simply put, your fingers gently go on the lens, with your thumb and forefinger ONLY on the lens, and your palm pointed toward your heart. This is the proper way to handle a lens. If you are using a point-and-shoot, or a phone, do not be ham fisted. Gently hold the camera by the edges. This will prevent your gorgeous thumb from being blurred into the edge of your pictures. And it will save you from ridicule.

 

New! 6 Photography Tips

5) Not using manual settings.

No time to use manual? Then you aren’t really shooting. Set up a control, for example ISO 400, f/11 at 125th. Start there and fan out your settings as needed. You can look all of this up on YouTube or even read about it on any photo blog. Auto settings aren’t exploring the capabilities of your camera. It is lazy, and won’t show you what your camera can really do.

6) Not having fun

Shooting is the best part. Don’t be a know-it-all. You don’t know everything. Except me. I know everything. That’s why you’re reading this and I’m writing it. Wanna learn more? Take my class at @ICP.