Photography is an art where learning never ends. In that case, it doesn’t really matter if you have been shooting for the last few years or just bought your first DSLR.

As a beginner photographer, the journey might seem impossible to maneuver at first. 

However, as camera technology advances, it is becoming easier to operate and capture high quality photos as a novice photographer.

In this article we are going to list helpful photography tips for beginners to make your artwork look professional.

Helpful Photography Tips For Beginners That Actually Work

It is difficult to succeed in anything when you have no guidance at all. That said, Techvaile has listed helpful photography tips to form the foundation in your camera work journey;

Plan Ahead of Time

Just like a pro photographer would do, it is important for you to know what to expect in a shoot. You must consider factors such as the weather condition, the landscape of the location and time of the shoot.

These will help you determine the tools that you will carry along for the best photography session.

You should also imagine the final photograph you want to produce.

Practice Rule of Thirds

There are many rules of composition in photography but practicing the rule of thirds is the easiest.

Rule of thirds is a compositional guideline in which the frame is broken into nine equal boxes by two horizontal and vertical gridlines.

In this rule, the main elements of the image are placed along the gridlines while the intersecting points identify its powerpoints.

As a photography beginner, this rule may be easy to break if you are used to phone photography.

This is because most of the pictures in a phone seem okay as long as the subject is within the frame.

In rare cases however, it is possible to break the rule of thirds. For instance when shooting symmetrical objects such as leaves. 

In a world where everyone with a phone can take pictures, follow this rule for stunning pictures.

Understand the exposure Triangle

Learning the three basic camera settings is essential for photography beginners. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO are the main settings that determine how any photo will look like.

Aperture in photography refers to the opening in the lens that widens or narrows to allow light into the camera. This also affects the depth of the image with wider aperture resulting to highly focused photo with blurred background.

Shutter speed determines how much time the object remains within the frame before it is recorded into the sensor. A high shutter speed will make the moving object appear as if it is static. The speed also affects how much light will pass into the sensor.

ISO is the digital control of how bright or dark the image becomes. The higher the ISO the brighter the picture. Extremely high ISO may however add noise to your image. It is therefore advisable to keep the ISO as low as possible.

These three components of the exposure triangle are closely related and adjusting one may mean changing one of the remaining two also.

If you do not fully understand exposure triangle yet, you may use aperture priority mode.

Study Histogram

One of the most common mistakes by photography beginners is reviewing an image through the electronic viewfinder or the LCD.

Even if the image may seem property exposed, the final product may not be true. This is because the display screens have adjustable brightness which may suggest the picture is great while it is not.

This is where histogram comes in. A histogram basically shows you the tonal range present in your image.

The left side of the graph represents the shadows while the right side represents the highlights.

Understanding histograms will not happen overnight, so keep practicing!

Use A Camera Stabilizer

As a beginner photographer, you may not know how to hold your camera properly. This may result in your image becoming  blurred and not worth storing.

A tripod or a monopod is a perfect solution to a still image as it supports the camera weight as you concentrate on framing the shot.

For handheld shooting, one of the hands should hold around under the lens while the other grips the body where you can access the shutter button easily.

You can also hold the camera against your body or use the camera straps for more stability.

Check if your lens supports image stabilization and turn it on for more still images.

Use a Lens Filter

As an enthusiast photographer, you have probably come across some lens filters before. This is because the lens filters are photographers best friend when it comes to harsh lighting conditions or just protecting the lens itself.

Filters are also used in adding depth to an image, adding special effects or even converting the lens into a macro lens.

It all depends on what you aim to achieve, the lens you already have and the budget.

I would personally recommend a polarizer lens filter which reduces reflections, improves landscape colors and sets the right exposure.

Shoot in RAW

By default, most digital cameras record images in JPEG format. This is an already compressed format and the images cannot be edited to your liking.

It is important for photography beginners to shoot in raw format so that any mistake can be corrected during post production editing.

It will be a bonus if you also learn at least one editing software.

Bonus Helpful Photography Tips For  Beginners

Photography is an exciting skill to acquire and even the most successful photographers do not have it all figured out. 

The more you practice photography, the better you become at it and gain more confidence in what you do.

So as long as you have that entry level DSLR camera, get out of your comfort zone, go for workshops, organize shoots and do online research.

Challenge yourself by using manual mode and be unique by thinking the opposite of what most photographers would think.