20 Amazing Photography Tips and Techniques

 Christina Harman

6 years ago

As a photographer, there are few things more satisfying than mastering a

new photography technique. Learning new photography techniques can
open up new possibilities, provide endless potential for inspiration, and can
even help to get you out of a creative rut.

Ready to discover some new techniques that you may not have known your
camera was capable of? We have compiled a list of some nifty new
photography tricks, as well as some tried and true favorites that you may –
or may not – have mastered yet.

Your camera has more to it than first meets the eye; get ready to impress
yourself with some of these tips and techniques!
High Speed Photography

image by Rachel Sarai

One of the things that makes high speed photography most intriguing is
that it freezes moments in time that are too fast for the naked eye to see.
The trick to high speed photography is a tripod, a narrow aperture, a flash,
and lots of patience.
Night Photography

image by Jon Phillips

Fast, Easy Portrait Editing Software

PortraitPro is the world’s best-selling retouching software. Using Artificial
Intelligence, PortraitPro enhances every aspect of a portrait for beautifully
natural results.
The fun starts when the sun goes down! There is plenty of life to capture
after dark. For high-quality night photography, you will need a super-slow
shutter speed, and a tripod or solid surface to steady your camera for long
exposures. Don’t forget to experiment with the rule of thirds as well, good
old composition techniques are still valid here.
Motion Blur

image by Geraint Rowland

Motion blur is the art of capturing a moving subject. This technique is often
used in sports photography, but can also be used to create interesting
images with light or fast moving objects. To effectively capture motion blur,
slow down your shutter speed, and hold your camera still as your subject
moves. You can also “pan” with the camera, moving it along to follow the
subject before releasing the shutter. This will keep your subject in focus
while blurring out the background.
Black and White Photography

image by Pier-Luc Bergeron

Black and white photography, when done effectively – conveys deep
emotion or drama. But there’s more to black and white photography than
just hitting the black and white filter in Photoshop. Effective B&W
photography starts with the composition, making use of shadows, lighting,
and strong subjects to create powerful imagery.
Monochromatic Color Photography

image by Alex Monochromatic color photography captures images in a

single hue or color. Much like black and white photography,
monochromatic photography has a powerful way of conveying a message
without much detail.
Smoke Art Photography

image by Vanessa Pike-Russell

Smoke art photography can be a challenging, yet extremely rewarding
technique. Smoke trails create mysterious and captivating images that are
intriguing, fascinating, and fun to capture.
Macro Photography

image by Ramón Portellano

Macro photography is rewarding and unique. It’s exciting to make huge
images of subjects that are tiny, capturing minute details that are invisible
to the human eye. The best way to make your macro photography stand out
is to find subjects that are interesting and detailed. You can accomplish
macro photography with just about any camera any lens, though the quality
of the resulting images will vary depending on the equipment you use.
Long Exposure Photography

image by Ben Mortimer

Long exposure photography can be used to achieve all kinds of interesting
results, but it’s particularly popular when it comes to landscapes. A longer
exposure effectively blurs movement, resulting in silky smooth water or
soft, streaking clouds.
Forced Perspective Photography

image by Christiaan Triebert

Forced perspective is a fun, visual play on depth perception – with
sometimes hilarious results! When composing a forced perspective image,
make sure your main subject is either larger or smaller than everything
else. This involves experimenting with interesting angles, and positions for
your subjects. Have fun!
Panoramic Photography

image by Thomas Bresson

Even if you don’t have an expensive camera, you can capture panoramic
photographs through a technique known as “panorama stitching”. This
technique involves using a tripod, and taking a series of side-by-side
photographs, and merging them together later on.
Traffic Light Trails

image by peddhapati
Traffic light trails are a popular subject, and a great way to gets started with
long exposure photography. To capture light trails, find a high traffic area
in an otherwise dark location, set your tripod up, and use a slow shutter
speed to blur the motion of the lights.
Painting with Light

image by Brian Tomlinson

Similar to traffic light trails, painting with light uses a long exposure to
create illuminated “trails of light”. This fun technique can be used to create
artistic images, or to add a creative spin to a photoshoot. All you need is a
dark location, a slow shutter speed, and a source of moving light such as a
flashlight or sparkler.
Silhouettes

image by Sascha Kohlmann

Silhouette photography is a fun and unique way to create dramatic photos.
The best time for silhouettes is sunset or sunrise. To create the silhouette
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.
Vintage Photography

image by sorenly
A cheap UV filter, and a dab of Vaseline is all you need to create slightly
distorted, vintage-style photographs.
Pinhole Photography

image by Peter Manktelow

Pinhole photography is actually the foundation of modern photography. A
pinhole camera is a simple camera with no lens, and a single small
aperture. Light passes in through this single point, and produces images.
You can make a pinhole lens for your camera by drilling a small hole in a
body cap. Have fun taking beautiful, motion blurred photos.
Reflection and Mirror Photography

image by Swaminathan
Reflections can add a powerful sense of depth to a composition. While the
most common reflective photographs take place over a body of water,
reflections can be effective for many different settings. Try to use a small
aperture such as f/11 or higher to help even out the subjects in the shot,
enhancing the reflective effect.
Water Drop Photography

image by CrunchyLens
Water drop photography freezes the action of a drop of water, creating
interesting and artistic images. With water drop photography, you will want
a small aperture, something like f/11 or f/14, to keep the surface of the
water in focus. Use a flash, or a fast shutter speed such as 1/160 or faster to
freeze the action.
Zoom Blur Effect

image by Balamurugan Natarajan

The zoom blur effect is a simple way to add some creative looking
“fractured-blur” effects to your photographs. To achieve the zoom blur
effect, set a slow shutter speed and zoom in or out while releasing the
shutter.
Lens Flare Effects

image by John Lodder

Getting lens flare into your photographs can be an unhappy accident if it’s
unplanned. But learning to manipulate light bursts is a great way to add an
interesting bit of flair to your photographs. You can achieve this effect by
shooting towards the sun, and using different angles to manipulate the light
and create a burst of light around your subjects.
Kinetic Photography

image by William Cho

Kinetic photography, also known as “camera toss photography”, is the art
of capturing a photograph – while your camera is airborne! While this
technique is a bit risky, it can result in some amazing photographs. Ideally,
you only want to toss your camera a few inches in the air, and of course,
ideally you will want to catch your camera on the way back down!

One of the great things about mastering different photography tips and
techniques is finding new ways to incorporate them into everyday
compositions. Using the techniques that we mentioned above, you can
enhance everyday subjects, and turn ordinary opportunities into creative
and artistic images that really stand out.

Have we missed anything? Share your favorite photography tips

and tricks with us via Twitter or Facebook! Want to learn even more
about how to take stunning photos? Check out our friend’s
Richard’s Photography Tutorial eBook!