Photographer and vlogging sensation Peter McKinnon is here to pass along his five top tips to upping your photo game.
Creating beautiful images can seem like a daunting task, especially when you’re first starting out, but as vlogger and photographer Peter McKinnon shows us in the video above; the difference between bland and exceptional comes from five simple rules.
Angles
Now we know that when you see the perfect shot your instinct is to snap it, immediately! Instead, Peter suggests taking a deep breath and 10 extra seconds to think, what’s the best angle for this shot? Changing your position and moving around your subject can help you to figure out which angle will create a compelling image.
Shoot Through Something
Try something completely different and shoot through something. Just be creative with it.
Not only does shooting through something help to frame your shot in an interesting way, but also gives your shot great bokeh. Now if you haven’t joined the ranks of bokeh enthusiasts, or just aren’t sure exactly what bokeh is, have a look at our Understanding Bokeh post.
Think Opposite
Take ten seconds to think, “ How does everyone else shoot this? “ and then do the complete opposite. As McKinnon mentions in his video if you shoot the same as everyone else you’ll have the same images as everyone else.
Lighting
This is possibly the most important tip you’ll receive regarding upping your photography game. McKinnon’s advice in this respect is a) move to a window to gain some natural light, and b) if the lighting is really bad just wait until it isn’t.
Framing
Keep the story you’re wanting to tell with this image in the front of your mind. Got it? Now think about how you’re going to need to frame your subject to ensure this story isn’t lost in translation. What about placing objects inside the frame to help to tell the story?
Think of the atmosphere you’re creating and how it will add to the story you are telling.
For more tip, tricks and inspiration check out Peter McKinnon’s YouTube channel, be sure to click the subscribe button while you’re there. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram or the Website. And go!
