Whether you are a beginner or more experienced with photography, here are some of our favorite tips that will help you improve your photography!

1. Use the Rule of Thirds: This rule helps you take eye-catching pictures by using one of the most effective rules of composition.
2. Avoid Camera Shake: Camera shake or blur is something that can plague any photographer and here are some ways to avoid it.
3. Learn to use the Exposure Triangle: To get your photos looking their best, you need to master the three basics: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO.
4. Use a Polarizing Filter: If you can only buy one filter for your lens, make it a polarizer. The recommended type of polarizer is circular because these allow your camera to use TTL (through the lens) metering such as auto exposure.
5. Create a Sense of Depth: When photographing landscapes, it helps to create a sense of depth, in other words, it make the viewer feel like they are there.
   Use a tripod if possible, as a small aperture usually requires a slower shutter speed.
6. Use Simple Backgrounds: The simple approach is usually the best in digital photography, and you have to decide what needs to be in the shot, while not including anything that is a distraction.
7. If possible, choose a plain background – in other words, neutral colors and simple patterns. You want the eye to be drawn to the focal point of the image rather than a patch of color or an odd building in the background. This is especially vital in a shot where the model is placed off-center.
8. Don’t Use Flash Indoors: Flash can look harsh and unnatural especially for indoor portraits. Therefore, there are various ways you can take an image indoors without resorting to flash. Choose the Right ISO: The ISO setting determines how sensitive your camera is to light and also how fine the grain of your image.
9. Panto Create Motion: If you want to capture a subject in motion, then use the panning technique. To do this, choose a shutter speed around two steps lower than necessary – so for 1/250, we’d choose 1/60. Keep your camera on the subject with your finger halfway down on the shutter to lock the focus and when ready, take the photo, remembering to follow them as they move.
10. Experiment with Shutter Speed: Don’t be afraid to play with the shutter speed to create some interesting effects. When taking a night time shot, use a tripod, and try shooting with the shutter speed set at 4 seconds. You will see that the movement of the object is captured along with some light trails.

Whenever using slow shutter speeds to blur movement, it is critical that the camera is stabilized to eliminate camera shake. We recommend the AmazonBasics 60-inch Portable Tripod as an excellent entry-level option for taking photographs with slow shutter speeds.