Since starting World Wandering Lens I have had many questions regarding how to take amazing images. Below are my top tips for getting those stunning shots for your instagram feeds.
Let's Talk Camera's
It honestly does not matter what sort of camera you have. These days phones are becoming better when it comes to their camera quality and sometimes are more advanced than some camera's on the market. People often forget that a good photographer is all to do with having 'The Eye'. What you see when looking at something is so important in this industry. Camera knowledge of course is part of photography but to be a good photographer isn't having the best camera equipment - it's you and your creativeness!
My current camera bag consists of the following:
Nikon D3200 18-55mm lens and 1 extra battery
128gb SD Card and extras
Huawei P30 Lite Phone
Go Pro Hero5 with extra batteries
I used to have an Iphone 6s and used this a lot when taking photos on holidays.
Location
When going to a location always research the area . This will help you determine the tones of the area and what sort of shots you would like to take there. As we all know when visiting somewhere it is different to what we have seen or we see other things that interest us. I would journal the type of shots you want to take just so you don't forget when arriving at the location. Once you have these shots you can experiment and get creative with the other interesting things that you have seen. This way you can pick one location but you could leave with four to five different shots that will be perfect for your feeds.
Lighting
Lighting is really important when it comes to photos especially because of them being over exposed meaning it is (very bright) or underexposed when it is (too dark). The best times to shoot are in the morning just after sunrise, or what is known as golden hour which is the hour before the sun goes down. Doing this with your photos will help immensely. However, that being said when travelling this can't always be the case meaning that you may be out in the middle of the day where the sun is out and the lighting is harsh on your images. If you have a phone typically you can change the exposure by clicking on the image to focus, and dragging the little sun icon that appears down, meaning that it won't be so bright. You can also change the exposure on the Lightroom app. It is better to to take the images within the soft light hours as the light isn't as harsh and you don't have to do more work to re-correct the lighting. If you have a professional camera, exposure is important as it being underexposed can create noise, noise is like the grainy look on your images.
Softlight - perfect lighting to capture your image.
Underexposed - I will have to correct the lighting in lightroom or photoshop.
Taking the Picture
When taking a photograph there a few things we need to consider. Find your focal point, what is it you are wanting to capture, where do you want the audience's attention to be drawn to for example: I am wanting to focus on the rain drops on this leaf therefore, I take a Macro shot to capture the water droplets, I move around the leaf to capture different angles of this to find what works best in the shot. It's always best to get different looks within one location as mentioned before, use the space that you have wisely and creatively.
One thing that is truly heartbreaking is when people often go out to locations and focus on what's in front of them. They aren't really appreciating what is around them. If I am in a location or on a walk I will look everywhere a complete 360° turn looking up and down . Remember wherever you are, just moving one step will change the scenery ever so slightly, all you can do is experiment with this, get your different angled shots and use a range of shots, for example use macro shots (close ups) mid shots and distance shots - movement is key ! Don't be afraid to change the angles of your camera, some people get so stuck in portrait mode but the whole image changes if you take a few shots in landscape too. The image changes because taking a landscape you can get a wider shot of the location, with portrait it has more length, for example if it's a door I would take that in portrait mode because the subject I'm wanting to take is vertical.
My favourite shots:
Flat Lay shot:
Taken up above looking down on the subject. Mostly used for product photography.
Macro Shot :
A very close up Image normally used for Images of flowers or eyes.
Extreme Wide Shot:
To capture an image that is generally in the distance but the scenery fills the full frame but still keeps the main subject in the focal point. This is normally used for landscape photography.
Recheck
After taking a few images surely you want to see how they come out? Checking your photos at the location may save you from total heartache later on. There is nothing worse than going home and not having 'The Shot'. You would of wasted your time, and money getting to the location. You'll be really disappointed and will leave you in a terrible mood. Don't spend too much time checking every inch of the photo, take five minutes and have a quick flick through. I have met so many people that once they've had some photos taken of them they go through and delete the ones they don't like instantly, without really taking the time to look at the photos properly. You may be deleting something you could of used or liked later. Remember there is no such thing as perfection - you are your own critique. Once you have got the shot you will feel extremely happy and then you can get onto editing (if you wish) and ready to publish your amazing photos.
Editing
After you have taken your shots and have reviewed them you can either go ahead and publish, or we can edit them. Editing is a brilliant way to enhance the colours of your photo and to keep your instagram feed looking amazing with the same consistent colour tones. Being very popular there are a few photo editing apps that you can download, however the two most popular is Lightroom which is completely free for your mobile phone, or you can use photoshop which can be quite costly. I personally prefer lightroom but give both a go and see what works for you. If you don't know how to edit your photos you have a few options that will help with this.You can either buy presets which is becoming widely known as it is quick/easy and can be relatively cheap,or you can play around with either of the editing apps and edit your own. Practice makes perfect so don't worry if you don't get it straight away I really struggled to begin with.
Publishing
When publishing really think about your image and what journey you took to get there how it made you feel? Does it remind you of something? Or take yourself back to the moment you took it, something inside you made you want to capture it, what was it? Maybe it takes you back to a moment in your life, how you were feeling at that time ? Ask yourself these questions. Being able to tell a story with your image is so important as people can relate to stories and feelings. It could be the craziest memory you have, but when people read these moments or your thoughts they will feel as if they were there along with you, and will feel connected.
If I could give you any advice is practice makes perfect. I started out as a hobbyist, I liked to model and take my own photos, I then ventured onto taking pictures of nature. I focused on macro shots of flowers and I did that just in the garden, a great place to start. I took Photography GCSE and that is where my passion came from, I would take my camera out in the pouring rain just to get some shots of flowers with water droplets - that's commitment! I practiced and practiced and succeeded I got an A* in my GCSE Photography. Although I studied Photography I still don't know the complete ins and outs of a camera but I have worked 10 years on exploring my skill and finding my niche. I often look back at my first photos I took and think how terrible the quality is but my images have evolved more and more. I took photos after photos in different locations and weather types to let myself come out of my comfort zone and my skill really progressed from there. I became creative and I found myself becoming more adventurous when having my camera in my hand.
Which leads me to say, don't be afraid to get muddy and dirty or scratched by some branches, tell your story of how you got the image, how it made you feel when taking it. I always feel exhilarated when taking my images and tend to forget my surroundings or how much dirt I have on my clothes because when you have got 'The Shot' nothing else matters.
Then - one of my first ever photos
Now
Starting Photography this one's for you
If you're starting out in photography I will tell you what I wish someone told me when I was starting. Your first image is not going to be your favourite but give it ten years and you will look back at that very first image you captured and you will appreciate the journey it took you. After all without that first image you may of not realised you enjoyed taking photos and its lead you to where you are now creating memories and moments you won't forget. Remember that all photographers started in the same position as you, so If you take some images and you think you are really not getting it - keep at it. One day it will click and you will capture your first favourite image, you will make mistakes and you will learn from them I certainly did I wouldn't be where I am without them! The only thing that I can give to you is to explore find what you like to photograph and remember not all photographers have the same niche, some photographers are more artistic in their approach. There is no right or wrong to photography have fun with it and your passion will shine through and people will fall in love with your photos, I promise you.
I cannot wait to see how your photos turn out if you are a starter all the way to pro's
I would love to see the creations you have made please tag https://www.instagram.com/worldwanderinglens/
and if you need a little more guidance I'd be more than happy to assist you or give you my advice.
Happy Snapping
Sending love
Lucy x
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