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Tips on How to Achieve Better Images with Your Favorite Camera
21 Comments | Posted by Kelvin Servigon in Photography
I am a photographer and I know how to shoot nice pictures. It has been almost half a year when I started doing some photography things. And within that time, I improved well my skills in photography. But, yeah, I have so many things that I need to learn. But now, let me share to you what I’ve learn in photography.
Now, here’s my top tips on how to achieve better images using your favorite camera.
- Learn how to use your camera. This is the first thing that you should know. Read the manual inside the box where your camera placed when you bought it. Try to ask some photographers on how to use it. Besides, this is the key of photography. The heart of this wonderful hobby.
- Choose appropriate background for your subject. Selecting your subject is never easy. I mean, it’s not as easy as point-and-shoot scheme because you need to study how your subject looks on the camera. But you should remember, you also need to choose appropriate background for your subject. You must choose a background which its color is not blending on the color of your subject, especially when your subject is a person. For example, your subject’s clothes are all colored red, and the background is red, too. Result? Floating chop-chopped human body parts. Yeah.
- Be creative. Find the best angle. You’re a photographer now, and you need to study the looks of your subject. If you’re subject is a person, you should know the best angel of your camera where he/she looks more appealing and sexy. Try to read my top 10 tips on how to be photogenic. And if your subject is an object, or any except humans or animals, try this.
Comparison | Photos by Kelvin Servigon
Some objects look dull and unpleasant if you’ll shoot them straight. But by showing its other faces, other angles or other features, “nice shot!” is a sure thing. Try to take pictures of it in different angles. Then, review your photos and you’ll see where the best angle is.
- Learn the concept of combining colors. Yeah, colors are the apple of our eyes in photos. Colors make photos look more fascinating. But bad color combination makes photos look dull and unpleasant. That’s why, you need to study the art of colors. Understand the right combination. Is the color red good if combined with black? Is the color pink looks nice when combined with white? This understanding is essential. This is very applicable when you are choosing the right background for your subject.
- Master the lights. Lights are just like colors. They make your photos outstanding. When the lights were under exposed (low lighting) the photo looks bad. And when the lights were over exposed (high lighting) the photo looks bad, too. What you need to do is balance the lighting. Yeah, it’s hard at first, but piece of cake when you mastered it.
So, that’s it. I hope you learned something from me. Well, photography is fun, but never stress yourself about it. Take your time when studying this thing (or about anything).
And as part the celebration of my blog’s first year anniversary, I am giving away free logos for the first three commentors who will answer this question correctly: If the photo is under exposed, is it good or bad? Good luck!
BTW, don’t forget to join my “Be Creative, Shout Your Love” blog contest! And subscribe to my feed for more surprises!
21 Comments for Tips on How to Achieve Better Images with Your Favorite Camera
TSI | September 12, 2009 at 4:18 pm
[tOtiNe] | September 12, 2009 at 5:29 pm
wow, thanks for that tips. sana bigay kapa ng iba. para dami din aq matutunan..
Author comment by Kelvin | September 12, 2009 at 5:48 pm
@[tOtiNe]
hehe, oo, balak ko magbigay pa ng madaming tips..
intay2 lang…^_^
Roy | September 12, 2009 at 5:51 pm
great tips Kelvin!
I wish I can great pictures with the simple digicam that I have.
One of my problem has always been lighting… madalas nagre-reflect dun sa object (or background) yung flash. kung wala namang flash, it’s too dark 
Author comment by Kelvin | September 12, 2009 at 5:54 pm
@Roy
try to tweak the settings of your digicam, kuya Roy. Pwede po kasing i-adjust ung exposure nun. + exposure means lighter photos, khit walang flash.
K.noizki | September 12, 2009 at 8:24 pm
UUnga, I noticed scented candles are your favorite subject, “there shall be light”.
As for the question, I am not sure about this but I think it really depends on the shot. Say if I want to get a shot of my shadow, I will underexposed it so that the shadow would look surreal. Whereas if I want a very bright cloud with blue skies, of course I want to overexposed it a little bit to get a clean picture. So it really depends on your subject.
As for the image above, I would prefer the 1st, a “light” signifies brightness, so we look up to the light rather than looking down. Either way, a great photograph really depends on how you would want to interpret it. However, you are the photographer and its your vision. If you like the way it is then that’s the way you should keep it.
Candy Blush Beauty Blog | September 12, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Cool, I don’t have my own camera though hehe, but I love taking pictures, maybe you can pictures of me for my Set Card, haha 
Do you do those kinds of shots?
jan geronimo | September 13, 2009 at 3:03 am
Great how-to post, Kelvin. May cam naman un mobile phone kaso di ko sanay gamitin. Mapagpraktisan nga pag walang magawa. Ahehehe.
Author comment by Kelvin | September 13, 2009 at 10:59 am
@Badong
thanks bro.. 
@K.noizki
nice answer kuya K. You’re right, pero mali pa din.. yung answer kasi sa question ay nandun lang sa post mismo…
@Candy
haha, yeah, I also shoot those kinds of photos.. 
@jan geronimo
ah, maganda din yung camphone photography, check mo yung post ko about photos taken with Nokia 6500S..
@everyone
mukhang wala pang nakakasagot ng question ko. Read the post, I just mentioned the answer to my question. Yeah, read the post again.
madz | September 13, 2009 at 11:19 am
I hope I could also learn photography. Thanks for sharing the things that you just learned. As for me, I guess I have to learn how to hold the camera without shaking my hands :P
Charles Ravndal | September 14, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I learned photography from my family especially my father and father-in-law. My father-in-law won an award here in Norway from a shot he took in Kenya. While my father had his photos printed on our city’s main paper during his stay in Svalbard and on the north pole. He had his share as an environmental journalist.
Light is indeed important since photography means painting with light. It’s actually the same with filming since we are quite dependent with lighting during film shoots.
Regarding with the question, the answer is good even though it is bad if you get my drift. It’s good because underexposed photos are easily corrected than overexposed ones.
Author comment by Kelvin | September 15, 2009 at 9:11 am
@madz
wow, can you share what you’ve learned about holding the camera without shaking hands?
@don ewok
thanks..
@taympers
yeah, those are basics which I want to share..
@Dee
thanks ate Dee!
@Charles Ravndal
cool, so you belong to a family of great photographers!
you’re right! underexposed photos can be easily corrected than overexposed!
mark | September 18, 2009 at 12:02 pm
waaa….me Too! hope i can learn that PhotoGraphy thiNg.. ahhheheh! wlang talent kasi,
My Year 2009 - Kelvinonian Ideas 2.0 – Filipino Teen Blogger, Photographer and Graphic Designer | January 1, 2010 at 3:06 pm
[...] Tips on How to Achieve Better Images with Your Favorite Camera [...]
jehuty | June 11, 2010 at 9:59 pm
hi sir!
i discovered your site as i was searching on tips on making my camera shots better. I need help po kasi. I am a baker as well as a cake decorator and i have my own online bakeshop. The problem i have is that i dont know how to use my camera e sa field kong ito, dapat ma sell ko ung products ko by means of great photos…because of it, kahit alam kong ok ang mga products ko..i cant seem confident to post it kasi my shots are not so good, in short..e i really dont have the skills for it, haha! Can you help me with it? on food photography specifically? Any tips or advices would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks! more power and Godbless!
PS: the camera i am using is a Canon Powershot S5IS?…..i dont even have an idea how to use it properly! hahaha!
Kelvin Servigon Reply:
June 12th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
Hello, always shoot your cakes near windows, para natural lighting lang at mas maganda kalalabasan. Make sure din na maganda yung background, dapat magccompliment yung color ng background or wall sa cake mo. Maging creative ka din, and always avoid using flash.
One more thing, your camera is great. pero sana, yung professional dslr na binili mo. halos ganun din kasi presyo nun compare sa camera mo ngayon. Maganda pa din kasi talaga kuha sa dslr.. if you more questions, email mo lang ako para matulungan kita – kelvinonian [at] gmail [dot] com.
Favorite object mo yang scented candle mo ha hehehe!!
sana matuto din ako dito i hope..btw wala akong idea about your question and the photography itself pero i’ll try..under exposed photos? ano ba yan yung mga dark photos? i guess good pa rin naman siguro..pwede mo naman siyang i-tweak or edit sa adobe eh yun lang alam ko haha!!! niiice try daw.
Congrats pare.
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