When it comes to photography, Scotland has so much to offer. When you think about Loch Lomond and the Trossachs you think of the lochs, forests, rolling hills, and rugged landscape that surrounds us at Gartmore house. There’s so much beauty it can be hard to know where to start and it’s even harder if you’re a beginner photographer. How can you make the most of the landscape and your equipment? Well, we asked our photography tutor, Ewan Barry, to give us some insider tips and tricks so that you can start improving your photography skills today.
Scotland: the photographer’s playground
- What do you want your photograph to say about the subject?
Once you’ve decided what you want to photograph, consider what you’re trying to describe. What sort of feeling do you want to evoke? For example, you can explore movement, texture, and form. Bring them to the forefront of your photograph individually or combine them to create a multi-layered image. Once you know what you want to say, it’s time to find a way of capturing it on camera.
- Composition is key
The composition is the very foundation of you image. In many ways, deciding what to include is the easy part but you have to consider what you want to exclude as well. This can mean playing with elements like symmetry, negative space, shapes, and colours to direct the viewer’s eye across the photograph.
- Play with your camera settings
Black and white images bring out texture and contrast
While it’s tempting to just point and click when starting out, a good camera will have a multitude of settings that will allow you to customise your picture. If you have decided to make movement your focus, then one particular photography technique to experiment with is different shutter speeds. Slow shutter speeds are ideal for photographs of running water whereas a faster shutter speed is perfect for birds taking flight.
- Control your camera
When you’re just starting out, all you need in terms of photography equipment is something such as a tripod that will give you some control over your final image. Even a small tripod will make all the difference to your pictures. If you are focusing on using longer shutter speeds like we mentioned above then it will work to minimise any unwanted motion blur and help to give you the crystal clear photographs you so desire!
- Don’t be limited by your equipment
Your phone camera is more than enough!
As a photography beginner, the thought of shelling out for a DSLR camera can be a bit daunting but don’t worry! Your phone’s camera is more than enough to capture some fantastic images when you’re first starting out. Of course, phones have their limitations in that they may not offer the same kind of quality or image size as traditional cameras, but this is only as issue if you want to make large scale prints. But these limitations can encourage a whole new level creativity as you hone your photography skills. In fact, most of the images shown here were taken with an iPhone 6s!
And there you have it! With these 5 tips you can start improving your photography techniques today.
