How To Take Great Photos
Professional photographers Peter Eastway and Ken Duncan put together ten tips that you can use right away to take better photos with your Lumix camera – whether you're wanting to win a photography competition or simply impress your friends and family with your camera skills.
1. Photography should be fun
If it all gets too technical, you’ll lose the magic of the moment. That’s why Panasonic LUMIX Cameras are great - they make taking great pictures so easy. Start with full iA (Intelligent Auto) mode for simply great shots every time. As you get better at positioning and framing photos, broaden your horizons with Scene Selection and Exposure Control. Once you feel you’re in command, upgrade to a camera dedicated to the art of the image – something like the LX3, with full manual control.
2. Make your Subject Obvious
Sometimes the subject is really small in the frame or hidden away. Get in close with your zoom lens so it's really obvious what the viewer is supposed to be looking at. Similarly, most photos are taken with 'standard' lenses, so by using the wide-angle or telephoto settings on your Lumix camera, you should be able to capture a camera angle with a difference.
3. Exclude Unnecessary Elements
Photographing a single subject? Whether it’s a person, a building or a boat, don't leave parts of other subjects in the frame if they don't add to the story. Pick a different angle – or move your subject to a better position.
4. Watch your Background
Many photos are ruined by busy or inappropriate backgrounds. Sometimes we're so focused on our subject we don't see trees, signs or rubbish bins in the background. There's nothing worse than a tree branch appearing to grow out of someone's head! Try to keep them away as much as possible. Sometimes by changing your camera position or moving your subject you can frame your subject against a better background that makes a much stronger photograph.
5. Move your Subject to One Side
Many photographers automatically position their subjects in the middle of the frame because it's easy – but sometimes your subject can look a lot better if you've positioned them to one side of the frame or the other. To make it easy, many Lumix cameras include Face Recognition and Autofocus Tracking, so they can follow a face wherever it goes in the frame.
6. Pick a Better Time of Day
Photographs of landscapes and travel scenes taken in the middle of the day often look flat and boring. Try shooting early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the light is more colourful and angled, giving depth and mood. Although moody light used to be difficult to manage, one of the major benefits of digital photography – and Lumix cameras especially – is histograms: a small, simple to understand graph on your display that is great in helping you see if you have the correct exposure. If the pixels are running up the far right side, portions of your image will be over exposed (white) and if they are running up the left side, portions of your image will be under exposed (black). For the best results the histogram should be a bell shape. Not into histograms? Use your Lumix Scene Selection and pick a scene like Sunset – your camera will do the rest!
7. Keep your Camera out at Night
With the Lumix cameras working so well in low light, don't put your camera away after sundown. You can find some great shots after dark that look quite different to the normal daytime scene. And, helpfully, Intelligent Scene Select will switch to the appropriate Scene to make the best of the situation – Night Portrait, for example, gives you clear subjects in the foreground, while still capturing the moodiness of the background.
8. Try a Different Angle
Around 99 percent of photographs are taken from eyeheight, so if you're looking for something unusual, take a photo while lying on your stomach or looking down from a high place. Changing the height of your shooting angle changes the perspective and the dynamics of a picture. With landscapes, if you can get a little height by standing on something, it will give you greater depth of foreground in your picture. When shooting wildlife it is often good to shoot from a low angle as it makes the animal look bigger – but if you are shooting from a prone position, lying on the ground, it gives you a much harder start if you have to run!
9. Always have your camera with you
If you don't and some incredible event happens, you will be really upset. Imagine seeing an alien space ship land in some remote location and not having a photo record for proof. Or, on a more down to earth level, talking about the big fish you caught is a lot more convincing with a photo to back up your story. Professional photographers love the Lumix TZ series because they are so compact and easy to carry – in fact, most Lumix cameras are!
10: Get up early!
The hardest part about photography is getting out of bed, but those who do will be rewarded with some great shots. At sunrise most people are still in bed – so it gives you locations without the crowds.