Photography is an art that is easily accessible to a vast majority of the population nowadays. However, how do we take that to the next level? Throughout this How To, you will learn how to take your photography to the next level, with tips I’ve learned from my own experience.
What you Will Need:
· A camera, I used a canon 70D with a basic camera lense (You may use a phone camera as well, cameras are easily accessible nowadays)
· VSCO, an editing software app that is free in the app store
· A person to pose with, and to take portraits of you
TAKING PICTURES
STep 1: Make sure your camera settings are to your liking, I prefer them to be the basic setting so I can have creative space within the editing of photos.
Step 2: When shooting pictures always be sure that the lense is in focus, you do this by looking in the viewfinder of the camera and adjusting with moving of the lense and tapping the screen of the camera. I am pictured below focusing my shot.
Step 3: Once your shot is all focused and to your liking press the black shutter button at the top of the camera in order to physically take the photo. In the photo below my point of focus was the ferris wheel, and I adjusted the focus in order to get the perfect lighting and amount of clarity for the shot.
EDITING PHOTOS
STEP 1: Open the VSCO app
STEP 2: Import your desired photos to your photo studio by clicking on the + symbol in the top right corner
STEP 3: Choose your desired preset, which is an already edited version of the photo that will appear at the bottom of the screen once you tap on the photo and click the icon with two bars and circles simulating the editing bars, for this photo I chose preset HB2.
STEP 4: Then click that same icon again to begin editing the exposure, contrast, saturation, clarity, highlights, shadows, tone, white balance, skin tone, vignette, and grain of the photo. Mess around with everything until you get to the desired edit of yours, everyone’s editing styles are different and just remember to choose what you think looks good. Personally, I enjoy vibrant colors with washed out backgrounds, and I always add a little bit of grain to give the photo a vintage feel. However your editing style may be completely different, editing is all about personality and style, so don't be afraid to show yours off! Inserted below is the process it took me to edit this photo thoroughly.
STEP 5: The secret to having the perfect theme is editing photos all the same exact way. VSCO offers a perfect way to do this by letting you copy and paste your exact edits onto other photos. Tap on the desired edit you would like to copy, click the three dots in the lower right hand corner, select “copy edits”, and then tap all of the photos you want to attain that same edit, tap the three dots in the lower right hand corner, select “paste edits”, and that is how you create the perfect theme of edited photos.
Posing FOR PHOTOS
STEP 1: Find an angle that makes you feel confident ! I personally enjoy head on angles, and I look to the side to have a profile photo. Make various faces, even ones you think won’t look god, because you truly never know how good or bad a photo will turn out. Posing for photos may be frustrating at first, because you may not like any of the pictures you have taken, but after awhile you will get the hang of it and find angles that work the best for you!
STEP 2: Have a gallery of inspiration photos, that you can mimic poses off of. Take them off of celebrity instagram posts, pinterest, or just any photo you see where you like the pose of the person in it. By trying new poses, and imitating poses you like to see you are bound to be posing confidently.
STEP 3: Be sure to have someone behind the camera that you trust. If you don’t trust the person taking the photos you will be less likely to show your personality and end up with mediocre photos, rather than spectacular photos.
All of the posing tips work for individual pictures, as well as posing with groups or just one other person
THANK YOU
I hope that you learned something new today, and were able to implement the notes in this how to for the next time you are taking, editing, or posing for pictures. Photography is an art that takes time to master and learn, which I am still trying to figure out myself. Be patient and trust in the process because your skills will strengthen overtime, and hopefully you may be confident in your photography skills like you never have been before!
I really enjoyed reading over your How To, I can honestly say that I learned some new tips and ideas for the next time I want to take some good quality pictures. The detailed description for each of the steps along with the visual screenshots really help with the whole process of taking pictures, posing, and editing the photographs. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, it was very informative and helpful. Looking forward to seeing where photography takes you, don't stop!
ReplyDeleteGreat How-To. It seemed like a good way to boost self confidence with adding the section of taking poses and things of that nature. -Zeke
ReplyDeletePayton,
ReplyDeleteI love your dedication towards photography and the amount of thought and creativity you put into it. As you know, I am very much into photography because it captures life all around you in all types of shapes and forms. This "How To" really speaks to me because I can connect, and most importantly, learn from how you are able to express your photography to help me as a photographer. Your photography portfolio represents you so well, don't settle for less!
This is stunning! I've personally never really talked to anyone that is into photography, so seeing all of the detail that goes into creating a great photo is really quite unique. You seem very skilled at what you do and your photos are very aesthetic! I appreciate the amount of depth you go into with this "How-To"; the step-by-step breakdown AND the visual examples really help to reinforce your incredible abilities as a photographer. I will definitely be using your tips the next time I take a photo!
ReplyDelete-Caden
"Be sure to have someone behind the camera that you trust." Could not have said it better myself. I love my mom, but I swear she's never held an actual camera in her life. I loved how fun this piece was, it really is a helpful guide on how to take pictures. It gives people who aren't photogenic like me hope so thank you.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your piece and as someone who has wanted to use VSCO for the longest but hasn't figured out, it helped me a lot. Your statement on having someone behind the camera that you trust is so true because I'm someone who dislikes taking pictures, unless I'm comfortable with the person taking them. Thank you for this How To, it makes me want to explore photography. It is so detailed and simple to understand. Awesome piece! -Belen
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting!! You're right about photography being accessible to everyone, and I agree with your point that we should take it to the next level. Photography, to me, is especially beautiful when photographers go outside expected levels. I also hope that with these tips, I'm able to possibly take better photos since I don't really experiment with editing much. Your specific edits stand out to me as well, good job on this as a whole :)
ReplyDelete-Sadaf
This was so intriguing! I can definitely see your love for photography. I am not good at taking pictures, especially editing them so this was extremely helpful. This made me want to buy a camera and explore my photography and editing skills. An image can tell a thousand words :)- Leslie Marquez
ReplyDeleteWow Payton! I always see you post these very stunning pictures and now I know how you did it. It truly was an easy to follow guide. Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks, I will remember this for the next time I go to take/edit a picture! -Mikayla Sharpe
ReplyDeleteI love this How To because the topic is so unique and especially prevalent nowadays when social media and posting pictures is so common. This How To can definitely solve the far too relatable struggle of taking pictures in the moment and then looking back and not liking any of them. Also great job of simplifying the steps with straightforward directions and pictures that make the VSCO app easy to navigate for new users like me. Also I couldn't agree more about having somebody you trust behind the camera to allow you to show your true personality. Overall, great job!
ReplyDeleteOKAY PAYTON! I SEE YOU! I enjoyed that you expanded on an accessible tool of photography that we all commonly observe and provided us with insights to increase our comfort-ability and confidence with utilizing such a tool. I also commonly use VSCO and Polarr for editing but keep most of those photos to myself due to my lack of self-esteem. I really agree with what you said about mimicking poses you like and see because it's like if you start to constantly tell yourself you're beautiful then you'll believe it! This was very good and astoundingly insightful!
ReplyDelete-Maeve Domond
I found this really interesting! It was the first post that caught my eye. I enjoyed learning about something new. I've never been good at photography but with your tips and tricks I'll hopefully become a better photographer!
ReplyDelete- Raeanne
I really appreciate the use of pictures to guide readers step by step in your How-To. You already gave a thorough explanation for each step, but you took it even further by adding. Given that your How-To involves photography, it's easy to say that you put a lot of time and effort into it. Taking a photo, editing it, posing at the right angle for the picture; you are a very patient person when it comes to explaining things. Awesome job on this How-To, so keep being you!
ReplyDeleteWow! I loved this article. It was so informative & I felt like it was accessible for someone like me (no camera man traits) lol! It was worded beautifully and I will most definitely be looking into editing photos more often. This also posed as something that could be very useful for me and my social media endeavors so thank you. I give you a 10 out of 10!
ReplyDelete-Love Morgen Campbell/Period 4
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ReplyDeleteI really love this piece just cause of my background in photography. The pictures taken were really beautifully done, plus having the edits in there was a good touch so that the lighting is not too bright or too dark. I do have a question what kind of lens are you using to take these photos? I would really like to know so I can can grow my portfolio even more. Also thanks for the app recommendation I have to look into that now. God Job Payton!!!
ReplyDelete-EJ Zuniga (JE)
I definitely enjoyed reading your detailed how to and loved how you broke it down into simple, clear steps so that an amateur, like myself, can even follow. Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks! This skill will definitely be useful in the future.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your how to, it was very interesting and informative. I greatly appreciated the quote "editing is all about personality and style, so don't be afraid to show yours off!". It tells the audience to have confidence in who they are, and to not be afraid to be themselves. Your use of screenshots made the how to very easy to follow and understand. Keep up with the photography, you are really good at it.
ReplyDelete-jacob
This is very helpful for someone like me who is completely camera shy! My mom always insists on taking family group photos wherever we go and I always look horribly awkward. Your addition of example photos and details really helped me better understand the amount of effort and talent there is both behind the camera and in front of the camera. Great job! -Jessica S
ReplyDeleteThank you all so much for commenting on this blog post. I have to say I was extremely nervous that the comments were going to be strictly because our assignment was to post comments. However, each of you took the time to write out a personal well thought out comment, which truly warms my heart. I truly believe this was more than just an assignment as all of your comments were very personal, and if you were just making up things to comment...I'm still going to pretend you actually enjoyed my piece. Thank you all again! :) -Pay
ReplyDeleteThis How To was very interesting to read! I really enjoyed it. I expected a simple How To use a camera and all it's features, but you added much more detail and tips on how to make and choose the best photo. I personally don't put much effort into my picture, but to learn from how someone else, that someone being you, approaches photography, it is really eye opening. Photography is truly another form of art, so the next time I'm taking a picture, or if someone is taking a picture of me, I will think about this blog post and apply all the instructions listed.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your piece and the amount of detail in it. As someone who needs to step up my instagram game, this was definitely an interesting and helpful read. I've never toyed with editing, but now I will research the app you had mentioned. Great Piece! - Mikaela
ReplyDeleteI've actually been interested in learning various techniques for taking pictures and I found this very helpful. You seem to really know what you're doing! You made it detailed in a way that allows someone like me with limited experience in taking pictures to figure out where to start. I look forward to using your advice when I take my next picture.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading our piece as someone who has always loved photography, i loved how you said that it is an art that is accessible to everyone. I also was able to learn some new tricks that i didn't know before. Your process was very well though out and made very easy to follow, you made so many good points that would make anyone want to pick up a camera and go. "Be sure to have someone behind the camera that you trust," very well said because if your not comfortable with who's behind the camera then your pictures won't be at their full potential. Overall, this "how to" was very well executed and i really enjoyed reading and learning
ReplyDelete- Abrianna
I love the step by step process of taking photos and editing it to your liking, I can relate to the photo as I do this as well. In extension, you wrote something about something you're passionate about and I think that really shows on how clear and detailed your instructions are. My favorite part of your blog and how I think it stands out to others is that you added striking photos that are guaranteed to catch any reader's attention. Also, I love how you wrote the blog in a way that is friendly for anyone to read- whether they share the same hobby or are new to it. This is one of my favorite blogs I've seen today :) ("love that for you!")
ReplyDeleteYour "how to..." for photography taught me some tips to pass to my girlfriend. I appreciated the clear directions and personalization added to each step. I am fascinated by beautiful photography and the "How to..." allowed me to understand what occurs during and after the picture taking process. -Luke
ReplyDeleteThis was very informative, I take pictures often and sometimes I just can't make the picture look perfect, thank you for making this simple to understand, and beautiful pictures by the way. - Deztiny Alas
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ReplyDeleteI really like this well thought out technique on taking photos. I don't usually take photos, but I learned a lot about the process that takes place of taking and editing photos. I will try to take these instructions and use them the next time I take a picture.
ReplyDeleteI loved your step by step process on taking pictures. It made it easy for someone with little to no camera experience to really understand what you were saying. The pictures you've added to the piece are truly great. I love the California adventure Ferris wheel! Great job!-Jazmine Hernandez
ReplyDeleteThis was very helpful, and a great reference to anyone that wants to take photos, or know more about it, further I loved all the visuals that you added to this piece, and you looked great an all of them.
ReplyDeleteYour step-by-step guide to taking and editing photos was extremely explanatory and easy to understand. I also enjoyed the in-depth details of each step, making it easy to follow. I'm not really fond of taking and editing photos, but this how-to deepened my appreciation for this profession.
ReplyDeletePay, I absolutely love what you did with your "How To," and the visuals you included helped portray your message more accurately and vividly. Since you provided examples of what to do/use as well as your personal experience, this builds insight and allows the audience to connect to your piece. Your message about staying true to yourself and taking photos to build confidence is wonderful. Awesome job!!
ReplyDelete- J. Wang
Wow! I am truly impressed and intrigued on all the new tips on how to take pictures and even edit! Your guide was very informative and I will definitely keep in mind all your wonderful advice and instructions. This was truly helpful Payton, great job. -Alyssa Jackson
ReplyDeleteVery thorough tutorial. I was a little intimidated at first but after reading the whole thing you make it seem a bit more accessible to a beginner.
ReplyDeleteRishiM
Payton,
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic job! This is probably the best, most concise step-by-step guide I've ever seen on how to make photos more professional and interesting. Also this is comprehensive and helpful list, and I believe I will improve my skills in editing photos!
Wow, this is a very helpful guide as to how to to take photos. Amazing job!
ReplyDelete-Eric Vercher
These tips are great. I have always loved taking photos but I never knew how to edit them. Im gonna use these tips for when I'm editing my future photos. - Zoe Hilty
ReplyDeletePayton, this was a really incredible blog! Being someone who hardly takes pictures or is even in pictures stems from what you call being "camera shy." Usually I avoid pictures because I do not really like the way I end up being portrayed, but your list and how-to-guide, really saved me because it provided so many helpful tips and tricks to love the way that I can look in a picture. Furthermore, I have never really edited so to play around with an app like VSCO should be a fun and intriguing challenge. This was overall a really helpful and great blog! - R. Kennedy
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I love that this isn't just a simple "How to take a selfie" tutorial but it also takes into account the editing behind the picture and the various factors such as self confidence into account. I will for sure try out these tips! Many thanks! -Michelle
ReplyDeleteI personally loved the piece due to the fact that it was very informative and easy to understand. from this specific piece I feel like i became a professional photographer over night. The piece was well organized and kept my interest throughout.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate how this tutorial was clear and easy to follow through. You did a great job of explaining and not leaving any confusion. For someone who isn't as photogenic, This blog has really motivated me to want to be more confident and has inspired me to try different things. I will for sure be trying this some day. Thank you!-Brianna Villanueva P
ReplyDeleteGreat job Payton!! You had very clear and easy to follow instructions. I enjoyed seeing your passion for this throughout the writing and I believe your readers can use these instructions to become (almost) as good at photography and editing as you are! I also loved your use of photos throughout!
ReplyDelete-Kylie Carmean