5 Great Photography Tricks

I’ve spent long days and nights compiling this list of photography tricks. I actually found some in the shower, but unlike Archimedes, I did not shout “Eureka!” I did, however, come out and write it down.

Don’t wait for nature to give you the perfect dew or water droplets. Make your own! It’s relatively easy. Just find a simple spray bottle and put it in a seal-able plastic bag (so you won’t damage your gear). When the lighting is perfect for a good shot, then snap the photo.

Use the rule of threes. Probably known by even amateurs, this is the oldest yet most often forgotten trick of all. Plenty are there otherwise-great pictures on Flickr with the horizon in the dead middle. COME ON! Align it to the one-third or two-third line, don’t slap it in the middle!

If the time is more than 1/30 of a second, use a tripod. This applies to everyone. If your timer shows 1/30 as the time, then use a tripod unless you are really trained. Some of the experts can do 1/20, but this applies to everyone. Especially if you’ve just got a new SLR and you need practice.

Don’t use the built-in red-eye. Basically what it is is this: it flashes first, the retina gets small, and then gets big again as it refocuses to accompany the light. Then it flashes again and takes the shot. Not only is this a bad way to do things, there are much better ways! Ever wonder why SLRs don’t have that feature, yet point-and-shoots do?

Don’t trust your live preview. If it looks great (doesn’t it) on your screen, do remember that your screen is only about three inches. Zoom it in! I took a spectacular sunset once, only to find it was blurry when I got home. Had I checked, I would have realized and found some stabilization.

If you come up with more tricks, by all means, leave a comment! Let the world know!