When to Capture that Picture Perfect Moment…

With the advent of camera phones and digital cameras, a lot of people have become more inclined with photography. You often find people taking snapshots of particularly everything from the malls, in restaurants and even in rest rooms, no matter how queer it may seem. However, not everyone is born to be a photographer, but it doesn’t mean that you will forever be taking bad pictures just because you’re not one.

Here are few things to help you capture that picture perfect moment.

• Choose your equipment.

A lot of cameras are available in the market from the high end digital cameras to the traditional film cameras. Choose the camera that you are more comfortable with. A digital camera can help you view your shot at an instant and can help you correct or change your shot as soon as you want. Film cameras, on the other hand, do not give you ample time to review the pictures you have taken.

• Take time to familiarize your equipment.

If you have a simple film or digital camera, the very basic thing you have to know would be how to hold the camera, aim, shoot and click. You must learn how to view things from the viewfinder and from the screen of your digital camera. However, if you have cameras that are more high-end, you must learn how to control shutter speed, white balance, aperture settings and flash. Take time to read the manual and take pictures using each different setting. If this would be too complicated for you, take pictures in the most basic mode of the camera.

• Avoid “camera shake”.

Nothing ruins more a good picture rather than a “camera shake”. A “camera shake” occurs when the camera is not held tightly and the picture becomes blurry. When taking pictures hold the camera with your hand and tuck your elbow at the side of your body with both feet firmly on the ground. Then take a deep breath and click. This lessens the impact of “camera shake” and captures clearer pictures.

• Decide on your subject or composition.

Before just clicking and taking a picture, decide on who, when, what or where your subject would be. Take time to study your subject and know when to capture the right moment. Get to know his or her attitude like, for example, if he or she is shy try to make him/her more comfortable or if the subject is a child, prepare things that would make him or her less restless. On the other hand, if it’s an inanimate object, know when would be the best time of the day to capture the picture.

• Apply the rule of thirds.

A lot of people would say that rules should be broken even in photography when applying the rule of thirds. This might be applicable to professional photographers, but if you are just a beginner, the rule of thirds will help you capture the picture with more interaction, composition and make it less boring.

• Study the background.

Sometimes, the background can ruin your perfect picture. Before taking a click, make sure that everything is clear. Check if there is any kind of objects in the background that would appear hanging from a person’s body. Moving backgrounds can also cause a blur and would be a problem if you don’t have a high-end camera. For starters, you might want to use a plain and nonmoving background.

• Capture the moment.

Yes, capturing the moment is very essential. You must know when to click and not to click. Not all the time, all the poses that you would capture would be choreographed. Sometimes candid moments show the most natural setting and at times the funniest. Being observant would pay-off when capturing the perfect picture.

Learning the basics of photography and your camera will help you capture better pictures. For some it might be as easy as the ABCs while for others it might take some time. If you are having a struggle capturing a good picture, take time to practice since a good capture also means capturing a whole lot of good memories in it.