9 useful tips for those who photograph. Typical tips from photographers. Where and to whom to show your photos

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Successful photos are a memory forever. And if in order for everything to be perfect, you have to make a thousand and one frames, then we hasten to rejoice that there is salvation from this. It is enough to know how to put your foot, how to turn your head, how to effectively extend your hand - and good shots are guaranteed. Professional photographer Marina Khomenko shares juicy shots and posing secrets on her blog.

Marina lives in Bali. Before moving to the island, she and her husband lived in a small village in the Primorsky Territory. They had their own shop there. But 2 years ago, the couple decided to completely change their lives, and the girl publishes the result of this on her instagram. We are in website We adore high-quality photographs and want to learn how to make the same, so Marina and her account became the object of research for us.

How to relax in front of the camera

The fear of being shackled or ridiculous is our brightest fear. People who come to a photo session for the first time are often very shy. Choose a photographer you feel comfortable with. Chat with him before shooting, tell him what pictures you are waiting for, what are you afraid of.

To overcome intense anxiety, breathe deeply: inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Let your muscles relax, you can even jump. Do not try to smile if you are not sure the smile is natural. Remember to keep moving as you shoot. Work with your shoulders, body, head, transfer body weight from one leg to the other. But do not be in a hurry: first you changed your legs, then your hands, worked your shoulders, looked away in the other direction, and so on. This way you are more likely to get good photos.

On whom the result depends

The photographer usually has a lot more responsibility. He will always find contact with you and will try to conduct a photo session in a positive atmosphere. And he will definitely help you with posing. You can experience pleasure not only from the images received after a month, but also from the shooting process. And it really raises self-esteem. Choose the “right” photographer, and you will want to return to him more than once.

How to hide body flaws

Keep your back straight and straighten your shoulders.
Bend your back as much as possible to keep your figure graceful.
When photographing sideways, do not press your hands to the body: even if the forearm is thin, it will still be flattened.
Watch your feet - pull the toe.
The body should be directed away from the camera, hands are not pressed so that the waist is visible.
To make your legs appear longer, turn them slightly to the side.
Life hack for a beach photo shoot: it is best to wear a one-piece swimsuit. It will also look beautiful if the lower edges of the swimming trunks are pulled up a little.

Posing for portraits

Relax your face, you can squint your eyes a little, but just don't overdo it. Otherwise, you will "sleep" on all frames.
Do not use your lips to "pyu", it looks ridiculous in the photo. This is suitable for selfies where you see and control your face.
You can breathe through your mouth, open it slightly. But only slightly!
If your hands are in the frame, relax your hands and do not turn their backs towards the camera.
Do not lower your head so that a double chin does not appear.
And the most important thing is a good mood! Then posing will not be difficult.

Where to put your hands

Try to place your hands sideways to the camera, but do not strain them.
When posing, one hand can be left at the waist, and the other can be lowered down in front of the leg.
You can cross your arms under your chest. But note that both brushes should be visible and directed sideways towards the camera.
Don't hide one hand under your armpit.
Looks good with only thumbs in the pockets.
Hands beautifully placed near the face are the key to a cool and unusual portrait.

How to be with legs

Place your feet on your toes. This not only lengthens them, but also makes them more graceful - it is not just that high-heeled shoes were invented.
Do not point your knees towards the camera, so as not to add 2-3 extra pounds to your legs.
Try to change your position when posing, do not forget to move in order to get more successful shots.
Watch your feet. Do not bend your toes down too much or bend your toes up too much. Keep the curvature of the foot straight or in the shape of a shoe. It happens that everything in the picture is perfect, the model has positioned her leg correctly, and her foot, and her thumb sticks up, so much so that it attracts attention. Such a photo immediately into the furnace.

Thanks to Alec Sot, a lot of tips shared by his eminent colleagues at Magnum Photos with young photographers have been compiled into a single list. This list is purely pragmatic things from the real practice of cool photographers. I propose to disassemble and discuss!

Reference. Magnum Photos is an international photo agency dedicated to the distribution of reportage photographs in print.

Being the ideological inspirer of the agency, Henri Cartier-Bresson put forward the principles of photography, the most important of which were: use a Leica camera, take pictures for the Magnum Photo agency, prevent staged shooting, and crop photographs.

The agency enjoys a well-deserved reputation and includes well-known professional photojournalists, mainly from the West and the United States. Working for this agency is a great achievement in reportage photography.

1. Alec Soth: Try yourself in everything

Try yourself in everything. In nude, in portraiture, landscape photography, fashion and, finally, in. Look for yourself and your genre, if you don't try everything, you won't find it! When I was in college, during the summer holidays I came across a job with a still life photographer who was very religious. All day long we filmed indoors with Christian radio. And then I realized that the studio is not mine and Christianity, by the way, too.

Before the next vacation there was time to think and I went to work at the local newspaper. And, surprised to myself, I realized that the photos to order are still mine. But the most important thing is that you like what you do and what you photograph. When you are bored and the objects that you portray are not interesting to you, it will be visible in the photo. If you like to shoot animals, shoot.

2. Alex Majoli: Partnership

Read a lot of professional literature and look less at other people's work. Work for no reason, no pay, no assignment, for yourself. Strive to collaborate with people you admire, creative people, and it doesn't have to be photographers. The key point here is partnership.

3. Alex Webb: Love what you do

Take pictures! You love that, don't you? If so, then the main reward for you is the process itself. Other things, such as awards, fame, wealth - are not chosen by everyone, and how they are fleeting ... Even if you know these things, there will come a period when they will forget you and, maybe, they will stop paying. But you will always have something you love. Take pictures for passion, not money.

4. Bruce Gilden: Simplicity

It's simple: shoot who you are!

5. Karl de Keyser: 5 years of work

Don't give up too early, as many photographers do. Finding yourself, work, after quiet years of study are the biggest killers of talent. So work hard for at least 5 years, then you will understand this business of your life or not.

6. Christopher Anderson: There is no such profession

You are just a photographer, as a person, there is no such profession - a photographer. Take pictures, and the profession can then follow. Take your time to take out a mortgage and hope that you will pay for it with your photos. As an example to you, Larry Towell, he became a professional photographer only after gaining fame. Take the pictures that you see fit, and maybe it will become your job. But if your starting point is thinking of photography as a career, then you mess up your photography.

7. Chris Steele-Perkins: Photography is hard

Don't think that photography is easy and cloudless.

Study your business, look at the work of others, just look, do not imitate them.

Open yourself up to constructive criticism, remove the useful from it. But at the same time, stick to your principles.

8. Constantin Manos: Uniqueness

You are not just taking pictures, you are trying to show what the object looks like. The photographer shows his unique vision with the help of framing, placement of elements, foreshortening. You should attend the lectures of photographers, those that you like.

9. David Alan Harvey: About the audience

Photography is a desire to express something. Be honest with yourself about this. Nowadays, anyone who has an expensive device, be it a phone, can take a high-quality photo, but you must be an individualist, an author. Reflect on politics, literature, music. What does the person react to, what these themes or others awaken in him, what are you going to bring up in your pictures? Find your audience.

10. Donovan Wiley: Pleasure is important

The process should take place with pleasure. Do not squeeze images and plots into frames, open your heart and mind. The main thing is to work on achieving your task, and whatever it may be (photo for a publication, magazine or exhibition), try to find your voice, your topic and its application. What you show in the pictures says more of an autobiography about you. I recommend How You Look At It: Photographs of the 20th Century.

11.David Hearn: A Sense of Calling

Do not start practicing if you do not feel that this is your calling. This is a very difficult choice! If you do decide, you will need to run, so buy comfortable boots.

12. Dennis Stoke: Photography is instability

Beginners should be aware of one thing: hone your technique and don't expect the photography industry to be a steady income. To soften this reality - follow the call of your heart, look for topics that inspire and delight you, excite you. The picture should be a clear expression of your thoughts.

13. Eli Reid: Work at a pace

Theory is taboo from the moment you pick up the camera. Draw a frame in your head, imagine it, but not for a very long time, otherwise you will simply get tired and inspiration, desire, strength as it did not exist! Your ego is not the topic here, take pictures and let the picture find itself. Behold life as it is across the river that flows near you. Remember, the pictures that you take can someday become a story about the time in which you lived.

14. Elliott Erwitt: Teamwork

Master the basics it's easy!). Explore the pictures of classic photographers and artists in detail. Also, films and their cropping, large, medium, general shots will help you. Seize the chance to be a “commercial photographer”, that is, to work in a team. And the most important of all the rules - do not intertwine photography at work and “personal”.

15. Liz Sarfati: Be yourself

Read as much as possible, create your own world. Try to create a whole series of images and compose them. Don't fall in love with other people's photos. Come up with something new ... Can't you? Be yourself!

For me personally, it is not empty phrases that are important, but the real business and results. That is why I look at those who have good photographs and seek advice from those who have experience behind them.

Many photography tips can be found on the Internet and in various publications. The usefulness of each of them is difficult to assess, but still there are things that all photographers come to. Perhaps for beginners, these will be the most valuable photography tips.

Better not to zoom, but come closer

Limitations create opportunities. By shooting with fixes or simply not using the zoom, you can get sharper and better images. Of course, there are situations when it is impossible to come closer or it is simply dangerous. In such situations, the zoom is the only chance to take a picture.

Drawings of light

There is no bad light. A good shot can be taken in all conditions. The main thing is to learn how to find angles, collect light in the right place and use it for the benefit of the plot.

Close-up

Beginner photographers often leave too much space around what they want to photograph. You need to imagine exactly what you want to shoot and photograph only that. No need to clutter up the area of the frame with unnecessary objects and meaningless empty space.

Do not think for a long time

Take pictures on emotions. Follow the rules and break them. Is it absurd? This is creativity. Don't get into deep philosophical thinking. Just shoot what you think is beautiful and interesting.

Constant self-improvement

Train whenever you have time for it. Even if not, practice visualizing your ideas and notice interesting shots around you during your routine work.

Forget flash

The built-in flashes are terrible. Try to take pictures without them and use these volume and shadow killers only in extreme cases. It is better to increase the ISO and get a lot of noise than to puff with flash and ruin the frame altogether, making faces flat, shadows harsh and losing detail in the background.

Often, interesting things happen offscreen when you focus on a specific area. This is especially true for shooting the sunset. The nature, which is illuminated by the rays of the setting sun, can look much more interesting than the sunset itself.

Shoot with manual settings

For nature photography, manual mode is undoubtedly the best choice. For sequential photography, shutter priority or aperture priority modes may be appropriate. But these are still manual modes. Automation is needed only in order not to lose the frame. If the settings turn out to be incorrect, the report will not be able to redo the snapshot.

Don't carry luggage with you

In photography, it is very important to be mobile and easy to navigate. Large backpacks with equipment impede movement and put a lot of stress. After a couple of hours of shooting, you will get tired so that only one thought remains in your head. Sit down in a cafe or camp in a clearing and have a good rest.

Shoot the way you like it

If you do not follow a strict order, where your every step is stipulated, take pictures the way you want them to be. Don't try to please others. The main thing is that you like your work. Only self-realization, the embodiment of one's own ideas will make creativity unique and alive. Then the people's love and respect will come.

The biggest problem is like addiction. Many try to please the masses in order to earn approval on social media. It is important to get approval from other professionals, otherwise they will not fall for cheap filters and pop stories.

Be a distinctive, creative and unpredictable photographer. There will be dedication - everything will be.

Theory is good, but practice is better

Having received another charge of inspiration from viewing someone's work or from reading a good article on photography, you need not to hold back the impulse to try out the knowledge you have gained. Many people suffer from procrastination (putting things off for later). It kills creativity. The desire to create fades over time. Fresh ideas no longer seem so attractive and you simply do not get the desired experience and new wonderful pictures.

In a hurry - people ... well, you yourself know

Digital cameras allow you to create countless frames. This breeds laziness. Many people prefer to press the shutter button whenever possible. At the stage of learning about the camera, this is good, as the skills of working with the device are acquired, but when it’s time to think about the plot, composition, would-be photographers continue to mindlessly “shoot” in all directions, hoping that somewhere they will find a normal frame. This approach is fundamentally wrong. The plot needs to be built, looked for, analyzed the situation, monitor the lighting, the behavior of objects in the frame. Only experience, knowledge and observation will allow you to get good photos always, and not when you are lucky.

Always keep your "weapon" ready for a photo hunt.

It is obvious. Something incredible can happen at any moment. Get ready to own a unique shot.

I didn't remove the lid again!

This is the lens cap. Why are there no shutters on high-quality optics like in compacts? Many masterpieces in Malevich's style did not allow capturing a rare and perhaps the most incredible moment. Camera in hand? Keep the lens without cap.

Professional photographers, due to their greater experience, know some secrets and are in no hurry to reveal them. Today we will try to reveal to you some of the secrets of photography masters that will help you create attractive portraits.

Tips for photographing portraits. Using exposure compensation

Underexposed portraits are a common problem when photographing people with fair skin tones. This is especially noticeable when photographing against a light background, for example, when photographing brides at weddings. Taking pictures in aperture priority mode using exposure compensation can help make portraits better. Increase the compensation by one stop to brighten people's faces.

When setting the shutter speed, do not forget to take into account the focal length of the lens, otherwise there is a risk of getting a blurry photo. As a rule, the shutter speed of the camera should be greater than the effective focal length. For example, with a focal length of 200 mm, use a shutter speed of 1/250 sec. This also means that you can use a shutter speed of about 1/20 sec. at a focal length of 18 mm.

Tips for photographing portraits. Using a reflector

A quick and affordable way to enhance portraits is to use a reflector. Use a reflector when shooting indoors or outdoors. A reflector will help direct more light onto your subject and fill in unwanted shadows. Most reflectors are double-sided, white on one side and silver on the other, so you have a choice between the two.

The white reflector surface can be used as a diffuser to soften the effects of direct sunlight. In the absence of funds to buy a reflector, you can do it yourself using a large sheet of white cardboard, glued on one side with silver foil.

The mood when photographing portraits is of great importance. Maintain an upbeat, good-natured mood throughout the photo session, and this mood will be transmitted to the model. Guide the person by pointing out which angle is more suitable and which is less, and do not forget to periodically show the resulting photos.

Do not be lazy to change your position and create an interesting composition. Often, photographers focus only on the face, forgetting to shoot full-length, or take photos from interesting angles.

You can ask the model to take an interesting, original pose, make her fantasize and improvise, very often the best photos are taken in a relaxed atmosphere.

Using a wide aperture (f / 2.8 or faster) will sharply reduce the depth of focus, so it is imperative to focus accurately. Otherwise, portraits may be blurry, or the subject's nose will be clear and her eyes blurred.

Select one-point focus to accurately focus on the eyes. As you know, the most accurate focusing point is the center one, focus on one of the model's eyes by half pressing the shutter button and move the camera to create the desired composition. Then take a shot.

Use the flash when shooting in sunny weather. Bright sunlight can create harsh shadows on your face, and the flash light compensates for them. Even if you don't have a powerful external flash, use a less powerful built-in flash. When shooting in manual mode, adjust the flash output and adjust it according to the results.

Even a beginner has the opportunity to take pictures in a professional studio. Most photo studios provide an opportunity to rent a room, along with all the equipment, for several hours. Before booking a studio, inquire about the availability of different light sources, different backgrounds, and whatever else you might need.

Photography is a wonderful opportunity to capture the unique, inimitable moments of your life. Pause time, save something that will never happen again! This explains the great popularity of photographic equipment and the growing number of amateur photographers every day. This is not playing the saxophone or blowing glass, often you do not need any special skills, you just need to have a camera at your disposal and the desire to shoot! Although, there are people who think differently: they save money for a long time for luxurious expensive equipment, take courses for photographers, while missing out on something more valuable - time.

But since you are reading this article, then you are already shooting, and are deeply interested in the quality of your photos. So, here are some tips and tricks that you will definitely need.

1. Be genuinely interested in what you are filming.

Professional photographers believe that, as in any art, when taking a photo, a person must be inspired and completely captured by their work, otherwise they are unlikely to come out with really good pictures! Get really interested in what you are shooting and the results will exceed all expectations. And vice versa - if you lose interest and the photos will become insipid and unattractive. Many people blame the technique for their failed shots, but I’ll tell you something else - not the technique is important, but the one who holds it in his hands! And his imagination. Even Einstein wrote that "imagination is more valuable than any knowledge!" Some, due to the lack of "good" equipment, did not start filming ("That's when I will take myself ..."). And you, be smarter and don't let doubts steal from yourself the opportunity to create here and now. Forget the technical side. Listen better to your feelings.

2. Maximum simplicity

"Less is more" - says the ancient wisdom and it can be easily tried on in the art of photography. There should be nothing superfluous in the picture, a minimum of objects, more simplicity. Learn to see the frame. Perhaps you will need additional literature for this, or maybe a conversation with a more experienced master, photo exhibitions and an instructional video.

3. Follow only your vision

You will never achieve anything if you inherit someone. Be natural in your desires, and if you like to shoot paper baskets, chili peppers, laughing old people, footprints in wet sand, small beads or fish in an aquarium - shoot! There are no prohibitions, you are free to show everything you want.

5. Acquire the skills to "see" the frame

To do this, you will have to accumulate certain knowledge. About composition and chiaroscuro, for example. Light is the most important technical problem and a careful study of its features has not prevented anyone yet! Never shoot if the sun hits you directly into the lens! For such shots, special photo filters are needed. And then, not the fact that the photo will not be overexposed. When shooting a portrait, pay attention to the shadows on the face, including those from the hair and nose. The harsh light hitting directly from above, on the top of the model's head, guarantees you funny shadows under the nose and not even very funny under the eyes. If possible, diffuse the light, make it as soft as possible (unless, of course, the idea of the photograph requires the opposite).

As for the composition, here you need to adhere to one rule - golden ratio rules or the rule of thirds. It consists in the following - the image must be divided into nine equal parts (see the example of the "grid" below) and the joints of the sections must be selected for yourself - they are also called "nodules" or visual centers (in the picture they are indicated by bold dots).

The base of your photo, that is, what you would like to highlight, must be placed either in the center of the work, or at the intersections of the lines. Examples ...

There is also the so-called when you shoot two objects and both of them are very important for the photo. In this case, it is better to separate them in different centers of the golden ratio, like fighters in the ring. Example…

There is another version of the "grid" of the golden section and it is called "Spiral of Archimedes"

It is even easier here - where the spiral is twisted, the most important thing should be placed there. As in these pictures ...

It is also very important to correctly place the horizon in the frame. Remember, bad form is the horizon exactly in the middle of the picture! Better if it breaks up the frame from the bottom or from the top.

6. Patience

Being able to control yourself and be patient is a huge plus for a photographer. For example, when you have to wait an hour for good light.

7. Feel free to filter out unnecessary photos

A. Adams, the leading photographer of our time, said that if you get one really good shot a year, that's a big plus and an achievement. Most of the footage has to be screened out and thrown into the "trash". This is fine. And very helpful. In the end, you only have the best. Therefore, do not be lazy to systematically engage in such "screening out".

Most often, amateur photographers buy cameras in order to always have the opportunity to capture the most touching, most significant moments in their lives and the lives of their relatives. When photographing a person, the most important thing is the choice of the pose, as well as the composition of the frame. We have already figured out the composition, now let's talk about poses.

Even a model with ideal proportions can be “distorted” by the wrong pose so that all the captured frames will go to the “basket”.

Conversely, you can visually "stretch" the figure, disguise flaws and emphasize advantages.

When shooting a portrait, always focus on the eyes, when shooting full-length on what you want to emphasize - the arms, the shoulder, the curve of the waist ...

Examples of tips for "advantageous" female positions ...

And also several "male" poses ...