Photography Tips For Beginners

Although most people think that taking a picture is just as simple as pointing and shooting, there really is an art form to it. Typically, your photos never look quite as good as you imagined they would. However, once you learn the proper techniques, it really is simple to take great pictures.

Though you may not think you need a flash outside, take a look and make sure. The sun can create drastic shadows. If your camera has a “fill flash” option, then use it when taking pictures in bright sunlight. This can help to illuminate even deep facial folds and creases.

You need not stand directly in front of an object to photograph it. Whether you settle on shooting from above, below, the right or left, experiment, or take shots from each angle to decide post-shooting.

When it comes to taking pictures of kids, sometimes the best thing you can do is to just go with the flow and work with them. Children are just not designed to sit perfectly still and pose for photos, they prefer to be up and about and running around. Have some fun instead, and capture the photos of the children in action.

Imagine there are lines traveling vertically and horizontally dividing your viewfinder. Place your subject at the point of intersection, instead of in the middle of the shot, and suddenly your picture has a sense of drama. Move in closer to whatever subject you’re taking a picture of. It’s frustrating for the viewer to not clearly see the details of the subject because the camera was too far away. Try to make it easy on your audience to be able to see images clearly and vividly.

Master photographers agree, less IS more.

You should never have tons of clutter or other elements in your shots. Keeping things simple in your photos is what catches your viewer’s attention; simplicity often creates a big punch!

Learn when it’s okay and not okay to use the flash with your camera. Your flash shouldn’t be on all the time. Too much or too little light has ruined many pictures. At other times, low light makes a flash necessary. So don’t forget to use it when you need it.

Even though people think white is great to wear during a photograph, it is generally a bad decision. Many photographers use the auto focus setting on their cameras. This setting doesn’t work as well if the camera can’t pick up different shades in its lens’ range.

For example, if a subject wears white and the background is also white, the camera won’t focus properly. With white clothing, the camera has a hard time adjusting to keep the whites looking good, while preserving detail on peoples’ faces, and photos can turn out looking under or overexposed.

Adjust the focus to create a unique photograph.

Reduce the f-stop setting to maintain focus on the closer subject. This is especially good for portraits. In contrast, increasing your f-stop setting will also increase the field depth and bring all elements of the photograph into focus in a more even manner. This would be fantastic for landscape photography.

Nighttime photography can totally change how a subject looks. When adequate natural lighting is not available, it is even more important to make sure that supplemental lighting is properly set up and utilized. Make sure you use the flash feature and adjust your camera’s shutter speed setting to shoot better photos at night.

Food photography can be difficult.

Food will melt and shift positions, making it hard to develop the proper shot. That’s why when shooting food, you should have napkins, glassware, and silverware ready first. Make sure you have the right lighting, and then put the food down and shoot!

Pre-focus your camera and move to where your subject isn’t dead centre in the frame. Having your subject in the middle of the picture is very expected and subsequently uninteresting. Try off-centering your shots to make your subject appear more interesting to the viewer.

Make sure you support the camera from below and on the sides, while keeping your arms tucked tightly into the sides of your body. Holding the camera in this way, you will reduce camera shake and make shots that are in clear focus. With your hands positioned at the underside of the camera and below the lens, it will help prevent accidentally dropping the equipment.

Always keep charged batteries in your camera. Using the LCD on a digital camera drains the batteries, so always ensure that the battery is fully charged before leaving the house. You should also carry spare batteries so that you can avoid missing a photograph opportunity.

Your photographs have perhaps disappointed you in the past. You will never face such a complication again, if you seriously implement the information you got right here in this article. With the ideas presented here, you can take breathtaking shots that you want to hang on the wall for everyone to admire.

We recently went to the Drakensberg for Christmas and I have always wanted to photograph the Kosmos flowers which grow so freely next to the open country roads.  So this time I decided that there is no better time than now…  But I didn’t just want any ordinary photos of these beautiful flowers, oh no I wanted to try and capture something unique. 

I had my parents escort me so that I could play around and experiment with all different types of shots with them keeping an eye on me (when looking through a viewfinder of a camera I find the whole world disappears and all you focus on is the shot – so now you know why I needed them there)

Trying everything from lying on my back and shooting up all along the stem of these cute little flowers and even shaking them around a little to create some movement.  And this is what I ended up with.  Not 100% what I was looking for but I can already picture 3 little arty kosmos canvasses on my wall

The secret is to never lose the inner child within you, always keep playing…

Riani Labuschagne

Professional Photography

We not only get to go and photograph special events for people at their function halls or the venue that it’s being held, we also get to do some amazing things in the studio, such as a couple shoot for a Matric Dance. This shoot was for a bride-to-be, who was going to get married in about a month’s time, and this was her hair-and make-up trial done. She came for a shoot, with all the little flower girls, and ring bearer boys, who turns out to be some of her nieces and nephews and we once again saw some of the wonderful diversity our country has to offer.

The Indian culture is a very rich and colourful culture, and they celebrate all their momentous events with lots of colour and traditional accessories.

We knew she was going to make a beautiful bride, and we got to see her in her remarkable outfit, all made-up for her big day to come.

Yolandi Jacobsz & Riani Labuschagne

Special event photography in studio

The world is full of horrible things as it is, and whenever you might have the chance to have tremendous fun, rather you take that chance. A couple shoot with our studio, is one of the greatest times you’ll ever have, its bucket loads of joy.

We ultimately want each and every client to remember their shoot with a smile on their face, not matter how difficult their children were, or that Grandpa didn’t want to smile, there are special elements to every shoot, and every shoot consists out of delightful memories that you can look back on, shaking your head and remembering the madness. In a couple shoot we not only try and get the bond of the two people in the relationship present, we also try to get a bit of a humoristic view of them, something they’ll enjoy looking back at.

We us photographers become very closely linked to any subject we photograph, whether it be a piece of cake, or people, but people can respond and reciprocate and give you a piece of themselves as well. Come and enjoy a couple shoot with our studio, and remember the special attraction that had you come together with that person in the first place.

Yolandi Jacobsz & Riani Labuschagne

 Couple Photoshoots

It’s a natural occurrence to see a digital camera of some make in about every household today. It’s technology now widely available to all people today, and even though they might be smaller in size and capacity that big professional camera’s, a lot of research goes into them, and they are made to world standards, giving humankind the ability to record their lives conveniently where-ever it seems they go. All people always want a good photograph of themselves taken when they opportunity presents itself, and to truly get popping pictures the very best idea is to visit a professional photography studio, who will use guidance and professional lighting to give you images with depth and dimension, which will be visually appealing and make you feel very good about yourself.

We love doing portfolio shoots, as it is all about using our medium for existence – light, to create the necessary shadows and highlights to literally, and figuratively put you in the best light possible. We strive to always give our clients a product which makes them feel confident about who they are, and in our professional ability as a studio, and something they will feel proud of.

Portfolio shoots aren’t just for trained models who wouldn’t even need posing, but just know how to use what they have for great images but it’s for anyone who want amazing photos of themselves, and we love to work with all kinds and styles of people, using what we know and what we do best, to bring out their best, and give them amazing photos.

Yolandi Jacobsz & Riani Labuschagne

Modeling portfolio photo studio

We operate at such a different wavelength here at the studio, when we see something spectacular, we always regard it first on how it could and should be photographed, and the moment it started to rain during the course of the afternoon here, we jumped up as we saw the most amazing colour that filled the sky, as if on fire. The sun hadn’t set yet, but was low enough and just peeked through under the clouds. On the opposite side, the most amazing rainbow occurred, which was such a blessing.

Photography is definitely a passion, it something felt inside, and it flows through us like blood, and comes as natural as breathing. It’s an amazing feeling to be part of such a great studio, as we get to meet wonderful people, and present them with a product that we’re proud of, that showcases our skill and ability. We get to photograph many events and functions, and not only do we go and photograph all the images needed for record-purposes, we try and make every single shot special, to present our clients with something unique, as well as technically vivid and well-composed.

Our studio strives for the extraordinary, and we’re always thankful when we get so many clients who come back and let us know, that our passion has certainly shone through our work. .

Yolandi Jacobsz & Riani Labuschagne

Professional photographers in JHB

Boudoir Photography

Are you looking for that special valentine’s gift?  Why not doll yourself up and have a professional photoshoot done?  And give those special photos to your boyfriend?  We specialise in tasteful boudoir photos.  Haven’t you ever looked at photos of a beautiful woman on a magazine and wished that you could also look like that?

Well you can, these boudoir photoshoots are aimed at making you feel more confident about your body.  Who cares if you have a flaw or two, everybody is human.  With creative lighting we will help you disguise the parts of your body you don’t feel comfortable with and flaunt the ones you love. It’s as simple as that!

We are professional female photographers who understand exactly how you feel in your own skin.  These shoots are can be done in the  privacy of our studio or in the comfort  of your own home.  So contact us now for

more info!

Riani