We all love to take as many photos as we can when we’re abroad. But in our attempts to capture as much as possible, we’re often left with a large handful of photos that have been rushed and lack personality.
We’re firm believers in the ‘quality not quantity’ approach and that taking just a few extra seconds to get the composition right can make a huge difference. Here are five useful tips to take on-board so that every single photo from your next adventure will be one worth treasuring:
Always have a subject
It may sound like a basic piece of advice, but having a subject for the viewer to look at is so important in any photo you take. We’ve all taken photos of that beautiful scenic landscape we came across only to realise that our eyes have nothing to focus on. Your subject could be anything - a house, a boat, a person, a dog - but just make sure you know what you’re taking a photo of before pressing that shutter button.
Experiment with perspective
It’s all well and good shooting from our usual eye level, but experimenting with angles and heights that we never usually see things from can produce fascinating results. Shooting something like a bustling street from high up can emphasise the scale of what’s going on, while shooting from a low level looking upwards can make your subjects appear especially imposing. If you’re photographing small subjects like animals or babies, be sure to get down to their own eye level and you’ll instantly notice the difference that a different perspective can make.
Don’t be scared to centre your subject
Most photographers will always compose their photos with the rule of thirds in mind, a technique that (at its most basic) involves dividing the scene into thirds and framing the subject in the left or right third of the shot. But this doesn’t need to always be strictly adhered to, and if you think that your subject will look best centred, then go for it! The human eye often finds itself automatically attracted to symmetry, and so the power of a well-shot centred photo should never be underestimated.
Look for ‘leading lines’
One of the best ways of adding depth to an image is to make use ‘leading lines’ - an object that provides the eye with a journey from the foreground to the background of a photo. Leading lines normally come in the form of a road, but they can also take the form of a staircase, a railing or something much more abstract. The only limit is your imagination.
Lastly - break the rules!
There are plenty of rules that can help you to achieve the most technically and visually appealing shots. But if you’re looking for your own personality and style to shine through in your photos, don’t be afraid to break the rules and try doing things your own way. Photography is all about creativity and innovation, and who knows, maybe along the way you’ll end up with that one shot that blows everyone away.
