How to Take a Perfect Photo

Technology has reached new heights and cell phone cameras have taken over the world. Taking a photo has never been easier.

It might be hard for some people to fathom the use of an actual camera for taking photos, be it an analog camera or a digital camera.

However, if you are someone who has been bitten by the creative bug and feel the need to take pictures with an actual camera, then you need to learn how.

Thus, the question, how to take a perfect photograph?

You just need to remember the following things while composing and clicking a photo.

1. Be meticulous about choosing the background.

When you are trying to photograph an object, a person or a scenery, the background is either already there or you need to create it.

Usually, according to the rules of photography, you need to keep the background simple and free from any clutter or ‘noise’.

It ensures that the viewer does not get distracted from the actual subject of the photo.

Using basic patterns and soft, pastel colours in the background is helpful when you don’t want to take attention away from your main subject.

Imagine that your subject is a beautiful model, but the red shiny car behind her is gobbling up all the attention from the viewers of the photograph.

You can easily fix an unsuitable background by moving your subject from one place to another.

You can also rectify it by changing the angle from which you are clicking the photo.

However, if these things don’t work, you can use a wider aperture and get as close to your subject as possible for taking the picture.

Also, when your subject is placed on the far off side of the photograph, and a large portion of the background is visible, it is important to keep the background neutral.

Keeping an eye on the background while composing a photograph is one of the most basic tips for taking good photographs.        

2. Focus on the eyes.

When it comes to clicking portraits, a key objective is to capture the emotion of the person whose photo you are taking.  

And a great way to do that is by keeping the eyes in focus.

The eyes are also the first thing that a person looks at while viewing a portrait. So, it is crucial that you keep the eyes of your subject sharp.

You need to be extra-careful about this while shooting close-ups and headshots of a person.    

3. Utilise the rule of thirds.

Have you been wondering how to take professional photos? Follow the rule of thirds while taking photos.

So, what is “the rule of thirds?”

In photography, the rule of thirds basically denotes the idea that photographs look more balanced and captivating when they are not centered.

To understand it further, imagine that there are four lines drawn on a photo you have taken, two vertical and two horizontal.

These grid-like lines have divided the picture into nine equal parts.

According to the rule of thirds, instead of placing the subject or other important elements of your photo right at the centre, you need to place them along one of the four lines.

You can also place the important elements at the points where the four lines intersect.

These days, many cameras have a grid option that can be quite helpful when you are learning to compose a photograph.    

4. Learn when and how to avoid using the on-camera flash.

When you are trying to figure out how to take a perfect photo, you would find that using the camera’s flash can be a bit tricky.      

If you are not careful enough, your photos might end up having jarring shadows and unpleasant red eyes.

What you can do instead, is to increase the ISO and get photos with a little bit of noise.

It is better than using the on-camera flash and ruining your photo completely.

5. Grasp the concept of the exposure triangle.

You need to learn about the exposure triangle if you are trying to find the answer to- How can I improve photo quality?

So, what really is the exposure triangle?

In simple terms, aperture, shutter speed and ISO are known as the exposure triangle.

They are deemed to be the most important factors of exposure in the art of photography.      

What is ISO?

The function of ISO is to control the camera’s sensitivity to light. Be it natural light or artificial lights used during a photoshoot.

A low ISO setting would make the camera less sensitive to light. A higher ISO setting would make the camera more sensitive to light.

What is Aperture?

Aperture is the opening in the lens of a camera that controls the amount of light that gets through to the camera’s sensor. It also determines the depth of field.

Depth of field is the area that encompasses the subject or focal point of an image. Depth of field usually remains in focus.

A large aperture would let more light get through. It would create a shallow depth of field.

A smaller aperture would let less light get through. It would create a deeper depth of field.

Large aperture is supposed to be used for portraits as the subject (human or animal) needs to be the prime focus of the photo.

Using a large aperture while shooting portraits would keep the subject sharp and blur certain distractions in the background at the same time.

Small aperture is supposed to be used for landscapes as everything in the frame needs to be in focus; be it the mountains and cloud in the background or the grazing cows in the foreground.

What is Shutter Speed?

Like the term suggests, shutter speed is the speed at which the shutter of a camera closes.

It decides how long the shutter stays open when you are trying to click a photo.

A fast shutter speed creates a shorter exposure, which is helpful in freezing motions.

When you are puzzled about how to take good pictures of a child running around at the park or a fast-moving car, using a fast shutter speed is the solution.

Long shutter speed is when the camera’s shutter stays open for a longer period, letting more light to get through the camera’s sensor.

Using a long shutter speed (aka slow shutter speed) is helpful in creating beautiful artistic photos with motion blurs; such as night skies and cityscapes.

You may need a tripod while using long shutter speeds for clicking the photos.

If you are a beginner and not yet confident about how to correctly adjust the aperture and shutter speed in-sync, then you can try out the Aperture Priority Mode (A or Av) and Shutter Priority Mode (S or Tv).

These modes are available in most digital cameras.

The Aperture Priority Mode is where you can select the aperture pertaining to whatever subject you are shooting and the camera adjusts the shutter speed accordingly.

The Shutter Priority Mode is where you can select the shutter speed pertaining to the subject you are shooting and the camera adjusts the required aperture for the shoot.

So, how to take good photos? Just remember the holy trinity of photography— aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.      

6. Check the ISO before you start clicking.

Usually, a lower ISO of about a 100 or 200 is to be used for great image quality while taking photos in bright sunlight.      

It can be quite disheartening to find out that you accidentally shot countless images with an ISO of 800 on a nice sunny day.

Your photos can get ruined due to overexposure.

It would be even more horrible if the photos were of a special event or occasion such as a wedding or birthday; as it can’t be recreated.

Hence, it is advisable that you check your ISO settings and make the required adjustments before you start shooting anything.

This way, when the environment of the shoot changes, so does the ISO.          

7. Choose early morning or evening for your photoshoots.

When someone asks you, what is the #1 rule of photography? This may not be it. However, it is still a major one.

While planning for a photoshoot, keep the time slot during early morning or evening. Why, you may ask?

Because that is when it is the ‘golden hour’; when the sun is lower in the sky and the natural light is softer and warmer.

Lighting can greatly affect the outcome of a photoshoot.

Clicking your photos at the golden hour would give the subjects in your photos a warm glow and calm vibe.

In fact, early mornings and evenings are the perfect time to take great outdoor photos; irrespective of what the subject of your photo is.            

8. Get a good tripod.

One of the most basic tips for taking great photos is to invest in a good tripod. A tripod is a great tool when you want the end result of a photo shoot to be great as well.  

Using a tripod helps you click sharp photos even in low light without making the value of ISO too high.

If you want to try out long exposure photography, then a tripod is your best friend.

It allows you to leave the shutter open for a long time (seconds, minutes and even hours) without you actually holding the camera.

Through long exposure photography, you can create some great photos with stunning effects; especially while shooting waterfalls, rivers, sunrises, sunsets, landscapes and cityscapes.                                        

9. Make a habit of learning from your mistakes.

Are you thinking, how can I make my picture perfect?

The best way to do that— other than learning about the various aspects of photography— is by learning from your own mistakes.

And making mistakes is something that you would do a lot when you are just starting out as a photographer.

As frustrating as it is to get photos that are blurry, overexposed or simply, poorly composed, don’t let these mistakes discourage you.

You need to train yourself to use those imperfect or bad photos as a learning tool.

Do not delete the photos you clicked even if they look awful. Instead, go through those photos. Try to figure out what went wrong while clicking those photos.

And also, think about what you can do to rectify those errors; whether human or mechanical.  

Clicking photos with an actual camera, one that was built for the sole purpose of taking photographs, can be deeply satisfying.          

Take heed of the above-mentioned tips for perfect photography and give wings to your passion.