How Do I Take Better Photos? My Top Ten Photo Secrets For Any Camera User

Christal Marshall
Jan 28, 2017
3 min read

For those that don't know, I broadcasted on Facebook LIVE about four different topics in January. The third night, I did "What makes a good photo" and I had over 300 people check in!

The goals of my broadcast were to give as much knowledge as possible in a short time but be as basic as possible.

I really wanted to appeal to moms and dads and grandpas that were looking to step up their auto focus game and get a little bit more advanced!

You can watch my broadcast here:

1. Find good light around you. Don't just find random yellow kitchen lighting- find a beautiful large window source or lighting coming into your home naturally.

Here is an example of what the "pop" up flash on your camera will do to your images! The last image is the best image- using natural light from the window- so much better!

If you really need to use a flash- get an external flash like this one here: It's only $30! But watch out, don't flash it directly at someone's face. Use it to bounce off the ceiling and walls around you to create amazing studio quality-ish pictures.

If you don't have a flash- use random light sources around you, like a flash light to the side (see the photo above). Use a selfie light clipped to the wall (like this one:)

Watch your background to make sure that it's not distracting. The worst is when you have baby diapers, shoes or toys to ruin your photo's story (guilty as charged).

Look for interesting light around you- like the sun coming through the blinds here (above)

Remember- light and what kind of light and what direction it is- tells a different story.

If you stay in the same spot all the time- you will get the same results. Lie on the ground and see the world in a new way to get different results.

If you are going to use shade- be creative on where you put your subject. You don't want them hidden with a muddle of light under a tree. You want to find patches of light to bounce up and hit your subject from the bottom and the side.

Use shadows to tell a different story. Don't be afraid of the stories that shadows tell. This is especially important right before sunset.

Use the picture to fill it up with what you want to show the audience. Get in close!

Have us experience your story with you. Have us "smell" the raspberries you picked, "feel" the sand that your son is playing with. The more senses you have in your picture- the more "4d" effect your picture has.

Show the details of your story- your child's little feet, the latte design on the top of your coffee... be creative !

Take A LOT of photos and take your camera out EVERY DAY to take at least ONE photo. Even if you just use your IPHONE, you can still be creative!

Take a lot of photos, but be picky about what you want to tell a story of. Don't stop until you have complete the vision that you have for your story. Only show your best work (you will fool a lot for people to think that you have everything together!)

How we frame our photo is very important. Instead of just take a picture head-on, be more creative and put your subject on the very side or top of the frame!

Use the movement of images around you- a spiral staircase, a dress flowing in the wind, a dancer leaping- there are so many ways to show movement and motion in your photos!

So hopefully as you are joining me on my journey on taking photos and documenting life, you will be able to train your eye and see light in really cool places!

Christal

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Christal

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