Scenario: You ask your friend to snap a photo of you, and ugh … when you take a look at the digital photo, your pupils are bright red and you look like a scary, smiling demon! Not only that, but the photo is slightly blurred, the room looks dark, and the colors are dull!
You’re frustrated as you skim through the other pics you snapped: they’re not much better … You wonder how you can become a better digital photographer and make fewer “digital bloopers?”
Solution: Take better shots, strengthen your photography skills, and make yourself and your photos more photogenic by following these five super-easy steps:
1. Overcast Days Aren’t So Gloomy, After All. I chose to get married in San Diego, not only because that’s where I grew up, but for its reliable weather and sunshine for our outdoor wedding. I was a little disappointed when “the big day” came and turned out to be a cloudy one. I was shocked, though, when my photographer was ranting and raving about how great the overcast weather was! Little did I know that overcast days are often times the very best days to take photos because they produce softer shadows in pictures! Use overcast days to your advantage by snapping daytime photos that produce less of those harsh, dark shadows that bright, sunny days create!
2. Try a Tripod. Those long-legged camera stands may seem a little overwhelming to the beginner digital photographer, but tripods are a great photography tool for anyone who wants to be included in more family/group pictures! My mother got one last December and it was a great buy! We were able to take our yearly family photos all together as a family—without asking anyone to leave the photo to take the pics (and without having to “Photoshop” them back into the group-photo later). You can also get inexpensive, mini-tripods, too—perfect for table photos of you and your friends at dinner!
Tripod Bonus: If you’re a caffeine junkie like me, tripods also prevent hand-held camera-shaking, which means less of those unfortunate blurred shots!
