Every camera has more to it than first meets the eye. And there’s more to photography than just clicking a button. You may be aware of light as the most important factor in any photography type, but knowing different techniques unleashes a new power and potential in you being a good photographer.
Learning new photography techniques can open up a new and wide range of possibilities, provide endless ideas for inspiration, and even help you get you out of a creative rut. So, here are five nifty new photography tricks you can try out yourself!
- Long Exposure
This technique is one of the most versatile photography techniques you can master. It can be used to achieve all kinds of interesting results, and it is particularly popular when it comes to landscapes. A longer exposure effectively blurs movement, resulting in silky smooth water or soft, streaking clouds.
Moreover, it can be used in numerous situations, either to show something that our eyes can’t see or as a tool to better document exactly what it is that we see. The idea for this technique is leaving the shutter open for a longer amount of time, meaning you allow it to let in more light and will be able to catch where that light is moving to or from.
- Light Painting
One of the most fun photography techniques that exist is called “light painting.” Breaking down the definition, it simply means “painting” or writing with light.
To give this a try, you will need two things: a tripod, because this will be a long exposure and a light source that you can control, such as a flashlight, glow stick, etc. Then, find a dark place to shoot in, put the camera on a tripod, stop down the aperture to f/8 or smaller, and lastly, set the exposure to either bulb mode or to longer exposure of 15-30 seconds. Then hit the shutter button, and paint!
Doing this technique lets you create illuminated trails of light. It can be used to create artistic images or to add a creative spin to a photoshoot.
- Macro Photography
Macro photography, which is capturing small, tiny things, is both rewarding and unique. It’ll give you that sense of excitement of making huge images of subjects that look tiny in our naked human eye. It reminds us of an entirely different world other than ours and brings that world to life.
However, it requires more specialized equipment than many other forms of photography. You’ll need a special lens – a macro lens, to be exact – or a lens or camera with macro functionality. If you’re starting with a point-and-shoot camera, look for a little icon of a flower on the camera. By clicking that, it lets you focus at a closer distance to your subject, which perfectly works if you don’t have a macro lens.
- Silhouette Photograph
In the world of photography, silhouettes have a rich history. They started as paper cutouts and were an early form of faster, cheaper portraiture in the 1800s. Today, we can recreate their style easily with our cameras.
Shooting in silhouette is a fun and unique way to create dramatic photos. The best time for silhouettes is sunset or sunrise. To achieve this effect, position your subject in front of the sun, and shoot into the sun. A faster shutter speed will result in darker exposure, and a slower shutter speed will create a brighter image.
- Combining Light Sources
There are complex photography techniques, and one of them is being able to experiment and combine multiple sources and light types.
You’ve surely used a camera flash; now, try combining the flash’s light with the light of the sun or the interior lights of a house. Start experimenting and see different results. The potential for this technique is limitless, and when you get to master using different kinds of light in your images, you’ll truly be living up to the intentions of photography.
Conclusion
Whenever you feel like you’re not progressing or feel like not wanting to shoot anything, exploring different photography techniques can help you. You’ll discover more about yourself and the photography you want to do with many unique and new styles. Thus, helping you grow as a good photographer. We hope you try these techniques out, enhance everyday subjects, and turn ordinary opportunities into creative images.