Are you interested in learning a few photography tips and tricks that will take your social media game up 10 notches? Do you ever find yourself scrolling online and seeing people’s social media posts with the “perfect shot?” Here at Muse Group, we love photography because it captures priceless moments in time, attitude, and excitement. Life is filled with great memories, and although you do not realize it at the time, photography allows us to relive those incredible moments.

Photography also helps us stay connected to our community, friends, and family! With a few simple tips and tricks, you can capture those memorable photo moments too. Here are six tips for taking better photos:

• Less is more

Before you snap any shot, always check out the scene in the frame and get rid of any distracting elements. A busy scene can make it hard to create photos with beautiful compositions. For social media platforms such as Instagram, minimalistic composition images are best for sharing as well. Additionally, be mindful and focus on what you want to showcase to your audience. Whether you are shooting a product, food, or person, having negative space in the image will help highlight the subject or serve your product! 

• Show the world a different perspective 

How do you create unique and interesting perspectives? Most of the time, it’s done by getting yourself into those awkward positions! Instead of overthinking how silly you might look, focus on getting that memorable perspective that showcases your subject uniquely. Don’t be afraid to get creative in your angles. For example, try shooting from a low angle and focus on the foreground so the background becomes blurry, or even try taking your shot kneeling or even lying down!

You can even shoot from a low angle which shows your subject with nothing but sky. This is great because it gets rid of all the noisy distractions of life and really focuses on your delivery. Or, try taking the photo from a high angle. For example, you can have the camera lens looking straight down on the subject or get up close and focus directly on your subject. If you are shooting a product, tilt the product laying down and snap a photo from above!

• Adding depth to your images

Creating a sense of depth and texture to your photos will add a three-dimensional feel. You can use layers like the foreground, background, and leading lines to help draw your audience into your image. Roads, paths, and rivers are great examples of leading the eye throughout the image. Flowers and rocks add something to the foreground image to provide depth. The foreground of your image can draw your audience to the subject, or it can be the subject itself. Keep in mind, that your subject doesn’t always need to be in focus! 

• Get up-close and personal

Depending on what you are shooting, it is extremely beneficial to get up real close and personal with the subject. If you shoot from too far away, you lose the detail and personality of the subject. Food, flowers, rocks or any other textured items look much more exciting from up close. If you are photographing a person’s face or animal, move in close using portrait mode to capture your subject’s facial features and emotions!

• Using the sun to your advantage

It is usually never a good idea to take photos while facing the sun. However, there is a great simple trick for getting great silhouette shots that use the sun in the background. A silhouette shot is when your subject is displayed as a black outline against a brighter background. The focus of attraction is sharp, with crisp edges around the subject. It is best to shoot your shot early or late in the day. The silhouette technique is great for creating dramatic stunning photos that will capture your viewer’s attention.

In your camera app, tap to set the focus to a darker exposure. Choose your subject and then position yourself so that the sun is directly behind the subject. Keep in mind that you can allow a bit of sun to be visible, creating a ray of light. Move around a bit and see how you like the sun showcasing your subject in the frame. 

• Finding symmetry

Conceptually, symmetry is extremely important in organizing our world. Symmetry helps bind structures together in a single, uniform whole. It creates calmness and has been a favored aesthetic for generations. To produce great symmetrical images, frame your shot keeping the vertical lines vertical and the horizontal lines horizontal. Symmetry can be found in plenty of things such as architecture as well as nature. At the moment, get as close to perfect as you can, but be prepared to tweak the photo and apply the appropriate cropping so your image is centered and balanced. 

There is a wide range of ways in taking better photographs, but applying some of the basic techniques that we discussed will help improve your ability in taking better shots! Remember, less is more, don’t be afraid to get low with your angles, add layers to your foreground to create depth, get up close and personal to capture emotion or texture, use the sun to your advantage, and lastly, find composition within the frame.

If you’d rather save time and leave it up to the professionals, contact us at [email protected] for professional photography services!