Taking the perfect shot

Photography history started with the camera obscura. The french inventor Nicephore Niepce created the first photograph by using a camera obscura. These cameras were made up of a dark room or a box with a small hole at one end. If the hole was small enough, an up side down picture would develop on the opposite wall of the box, of what ever the hole was facing. The first photosensitive paper was exposed by Niepce for eight hours to capture the image.

The capability of the camera obscura to copy images, is the basis of all photography technology and camera lenses. Today this technology is still growing and evolving at a very fast pace.

As you can see, there is a lot more to taking pictures than just aim and snap. People who are serious about photography should learn what influence different aspects have on the pictures they take.

Pictures taken in excessive light result in an overexposed film that produces pictures that are too bright. Moderate or no light results in an underexposed film and the pictures will be too dark.

The right level of exposure will be created if you learn how to control the available lighting and the film speed. If you want to take a photo of a person, the soft lighting of a cloudy day work the best. Early mornings or late afternoons will be best to take beautiful landscape pictures. 

You can even use your flash outdoors to improve your pictures. The flash will help to eliminate the darker shadows under the nose and the eyes. On cloudy days is will illuminate faces and make them stand out from the background. Be sure to know the range of your flash otherwise your pictures will come out too dark.

Getting the right composition is a matter of adding some props, rearranging your subjects, and trying different angles. You can improve the composition and angle of your photos by getting down on the level of your subject. This is especially recommended if your subjects are pets or children. They do not even have to look directly into the camera; the eye level angle alone will create a more personal feeling.

By ensuring that you have a natural background, the pictures would be even more capturing. A busy background will be distracting while a plain background will draw attention to your subject. 

Move in close and fill your picture with your subject.This will reduce any background distractions and highlight the details in your subject. Use your camera’s macro or “flower” option to get good pictures of small objects.

Some picture look better if it is taken as a vertical picture, try to change the angle of your camera.

The enhancement and development of cameras and photography is an ongoing process. New innovations appear daily such as affordable underwater cameras and digital cameras, it is the responsibility of all serious photographers, amateur and professional, to stay well informed and up to date with the latest technology and photography techniques.

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