Shoot like a pro. World Photography Day 19 August

shoot like a pro

Everyone has access to a camera in their pocket. From snapping selfies to capturing picturesque landscapes. But despite that technology you can still take a truly terrible shot. Lauren Bath tells you how to shoot like a pro.

Western Digital has partnered with Australia’s first professional Instagrammer, Lauren Bath to share her top tips for Aussies looking to nail the perfect shot.

Follow the rule of thirds

Try using the rule of thirds! This is a popular photography guideline that dictates you place items of interest on imaginary “third lines” through your frame.

To imagine this better just divide your image into 9 equal sections, 3 on the vertical axis and three on the horizontal axis. Now try placing any elements that are important to your composition on these “lines”. The horizon, a person, a path etc. Hint: some cameras even allow you to display these lines to aid your composition in camera.

Use your angles

If your picture just isn’t coming out right, don’t be afraid to try new angles! This can be a great way to get another perspective of the shot and can give you more options of what to post.

Try and stand up to take the picture, or if it requires, lie down. Sometimes the best and most creative perspective is from a lower angle. I love shooting down on my food (flat lays), shooting at eye level of animals and children and shooting up at flowers.

Back it up

A photographer’s worst nightmare for both amateur and pro, is to lose your shots. Invest in a reliable backup solution for peace of mind. My go-to is Western Digital’s new My Passport Wireless SSD. It has a built-in SD 3.0 card reader and a one-touch copy button, making it super easy to quickly backup photos from your camera or directly to the My Cloud Home application on your mobile phone.

SanDisk’s iXpand Base is also a favourite of mine, allowing you to back up your images whilst chagrin your phone at the same time.

Experiment with third-party apps

Do your research. See what apps other people are using to edit their photos. Apps such as VSCO, Facetune and Snapseed can provide certain filters and effects that you simply cannot capture on your own camera.

If you have a theme running through your Instagram, these apps can provide an easy source of using the same effect each time. Play around with them and figure out which one is best suited for your photos.

Turn off that flash.

Seriously, you don’t need it. Flash makes everything appear to look a lot brighter and harsher than they are. Find sources of natural light to make your photos appear less staged and easier on the eyes. Try sunrise and sunset and the half hour period before and after for your shoot. Your photography will improve by leaps and bounds.

Embrace complementary colours.

If you want something to really stand out think about using complementary colours in your shot. These are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. Think about how good photos of the beach or desert are with the blue of the sky against the oranges of the sand. Here’s one I prepared earlier! Look at how the pink pops against the light blue.

Shoot like a pro

Now you can shoot like a pro

Shoot like a pro, shoot like a pro