Photography Tips With Dillon

Photography: some of us say that we are professionals, but do we really know everything that goes into making top tier photos? Whether you are using a professional camera or your phone, are you familiar with all the features? Technology is evolving; many of our bulky cameras are being replaced by smaller cellular devices, yet still some may think all you have to do is point and shoot and suddenly have award-winning photos. Here is some information and quick tips on how to take quality photos. 

Let’s talk types of devices that will be able to give you some high-quality photographs. If you’re looking for a more professional camera, I would start off with Canon’s EOS Rebel series. This camera is one of the cheapest yet reliable DSLR cameras on the market. Currently, the Canon EOS T7 goes for $449.99. What makes this camera reliable for taking photos is its design setup. It has multiple different photo modes including two very important manual modes, aperture priority and shutter speed. These modes will allow you to manually affect the photo with its focus or clarity. There are also a handful of other DSLR camera products like Nikon’s D3500 series that is about the same price and offers some of the same features as Canon’s, but it comes down to your preference on the look and layout of the camera.  

Now, if you’re in the market for a phone that will offer you the best photos, there is a growing number of options. Many phone companies offer different aspects to their photographing experience. Most have created a key feature called HDR photos, which allows you to take multiple photos of the same object and then compile them together, giving you a hyper–realistic image. David Phelan, writer for Forbes Magazine, compared seven of the most highly rated phone cameras and gives a brief description of their differences. Now everyone talks about how superior iPhones are to other phones, and in a lot of ways they are, but they are built for simplicity. Despite that fact, the quality is still quite high. On the other hand, you have the new rising Google Pixel phones that are fairly priced, and they allow you to mess with the different aspects of the image live. The Samsung Galaxy S10 produces about the same results as iPhones, but it also has its live shoot feature which expertly focuses the camera on specific regions of the image. Personally, I would choose the Google Pixel 3 because it allows you to take command and design the image you want. 

If you want to create a different image from everyone else’s (a.k.a. a basic Instagram girl) you must look at the point of view. Instead of always centering your photos, try and take a different angle. One point of view many photographers use is rule of thirds. This is where you can place a subject towards a corner giving the photo a different focus point. Another technique I love to use is an eagle eye view, where you are above your subject and looking down at them. Remember to change it up; don’t always have still photos and give them some pizazz.  

Finally, if you are using a DSLR camera, use the manual modes which give you the satisfaction of putting an actual effort into a photo’s look. If you are using TV or shutter speed mode, it allows you to change how much light is taken in. In other words, if you are taking a sports photo, you can freeze it. The higher the shutter speed the less blur and movement the photo will have. Aperture priority allows you to change how blurry or crisp both the background and foreground is. If you want a super clear subject with a blurry background, use the lowest f-stop. The higher the f-stop, the clearer the background becomes. With the google phone you can utilize these features.