Taking a picture is like capturing a moment – a funny moment with friends, a beautiful sunrise, the star-lit night sky, or a selfie with your loved ones. Photography preserves every small detail of these memories allowing you to return to this very moment whenever you want. Thanks to apps like Instagram and Pinterest we can even share pictures with people on the other side of the globe in just a few seconds and get a glimpse into their lives. There is a great variety in photography and surely everyone has his own style. From documentary photography in National Geographic style, which gives an insight into different cultures and stunning landscapes, to artistic compositions with Photoshop and even memes on the internet, every type of photography represents a sense of aesthetic expression. But no matter if you are only taking holiday photos or if you want to become a professional photographer there are a few easy ways to make your pictures more interesting.
1. Foreground
Including a foreground in your picture permits you to create depth while showing more aspects of your motive. It is either possible to choose a foreground that matches the character of the main motive but you can also find a contrast. For example, in landscape photography, you can just hold your lens close to the ground and look for eye-catching objects like colored leaves or rocks with an extraordinary shapes. To have foreground and background focused at the same time you need to select a closed aperture of at least 8.
2. Light
Light can change the atmosphere of a picture completely. Consciously thinking about what type of light suits the picture best and where to position your camera to the light helps to take better pictures. Typical lighting atmospheres are the golden hour and the blue hour. The golden hour begins one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset. With a clear sky, the low sun drenches everything in a golden light creating a warm, soft atmosphere. The blue hour however is the hour before sunrise and after sunset. This time of the day is very suitable for architecture photography since the blue sky creates a great contrast with warm lights of the buildings.
3. Use Reflections
Reflections are a very easy way to give pictures a special touch. Just hold the lens close to a reflecting surface like a puddle, a lake, or windows and be creative. One classic motive is a mountain panorama reflecting in a smooth lake but also portraits through a shop window can create fascinating pictures.
4. Leading Lines
Leading lines direct the eye of the viewer in the image. By strategically placing your main motive at the end of a leading line or by using symmetry you can make photography more aesthetically appealing. Leading lines can be nearly everything from a regular handrail to a line of stones in the sea or architectural elements. Just try to be creative and highlight your motive as best as possible.
5. Different shutter times
The shutter time determines for how long the sensor of your camera is exposed to light. By manually adjusting that time you can show motion in your picture. For example, if you take a picture of a waterfall you can either choose a short shutter time around 1/1000s which will freeze the single water drops in the air. Or you can choose a longer shutter time of a few seconds which will make the water look very smooth emphasizing its motion. So by consciously modifying the shutter time you can create very different looks. Other motives that are suitable to experiment with the shutter time are cars at night, pedestrians, athletes, or boats.
