Photography for Beginners: Photography Tips and Ideas on How to Take Better Photos

The photographic eye: train your perception with these photography tips

For many amateur photographers taking photos means quickly taking a photo with your mobile phone to help keep it in your memory. Whereas a hobby photographer who invests a lot of time and dedication into taking photos will usually take the time to turn their photos in a masterpiece. Photos should not only look great, but they should also show your personal point of view.

Those who are new to photography need to first understand how our view of something and the image on the camera can differ in order to be able to take better photos. In everyday life, the human eye can simply block out many details. We often only see what we focus on. A camera, on the other hand takes a picture with all the details and photographs everything that is there. As a result, your photos may not have a clear motif at the beginning, but they may contain distracting elements or you may simply miss some interesting motifs.

It is a good idea to train the photographic eye specifically to be able to view the world as it is with all its details. A fundamental difference between a snapshot and a well-considered photo is that a photographer already thinks about how the photo will look afterwards before they have even taken it. They are aware of the distracting elements, which will help them to consciously choose the detail and follow the rules of image composition. We have compiled various photography tips and photo ideas below, which will help you to train your photographic eye so that you can visualise your photos beforehand and thus take better photos.

Photography tips: setting the scene with a main motif

Make sure to visualise your photo before taking it as this can help to improve your photography skills:

• What is my main subject? A photo has a clear message if it doesn’t have too many details. A photo with too many details and no clear motif makes it difficult for the viewer to find the picture's message.
• What would I like my picture to say? Think in advance about the story, details or feelings you would like your picture to portray.
• Are there any distracting elements in the picture? If there are areas in the photo that are not relevant, you can choose a different frame or a different perspective. You can also work with the aperture to blur the background and focus on your subject.

These three photography tips can help you to improve your visual skills in order to take great pictures with a clear message.

Taking better photos: here is how to improve your photographic eye

Not only the subject, but also other factors such as the lighting conditions or the perspective can have an effect on your photo. To take better photos, you can therefore train your perception with the following photography tips below:

• Photo idea 5: Create a foreground - a foreground will make your photo look even more interesting. Try and see how you can incorporate a foreground into your image.
• Photo idea 6: Look for symmetries - symmetries make a photo look particularly harmonious. Find symmetries and incorporate them into your photos.
• Photo idea 7: experiment with light and shadow - find special shadow plays and explore how you can use light and shadow in a targeted way.
• Photo idea 8: Find leading lines - lines in the image automatically lead the viewer to your subject. Take advantage of this effect and include lines in your photo.
• Photo idea 9: Use strong contrasts - look for strong contrasts and use them consciously. These can be colour contrasts or different structures or sizes.
• Photo idea 10: Combine previous photo ideas – try and combine several of the previous photo ideas.

These practice exercises can help you to train your perception and help you to visualise new pictures. In addition to a skilled photographic eye, photography beginners also need the right camera accessories and the knowledge on how to use the different camera settings. To help you get started with your new hobby you will find further helpful articles on the topic of "Photography for beginners" below.