As once quoted by Robert Capa, “If your photos aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” And this is best understood by every photographer who is in love with his camera. Photography is not only about getting the perfect shot but also capturing the subject accurately. As a photographer, to get the correct focus, you need to know the basic functioning of the camera. You can acquaint yourself with this technical know-how through your chosen photography training institute.

Thinking of my childhood days, I was born and brought up in Hyderabad, over the years my family built many memories in this historic city. My dad graduated from one of the best photography institutes in Hyderabad. Like my dad, even I loved clicking photos and I guess the love for photography ran through my blood.

One evening as I was going through a pile of photos, I remembered an old incident. Back then my family owned a film camera that was proudly taken out for almost every occasion. I picked one photo for which I received loads of appreciation. I compared it to one of my old pictures that I clicked during my school days.

After a lot of begging and pleading, I was finally given the camera for one of the school outings as my class was headed to the zoo. They gave me the camera with a strict instruction saying, “be very careful, make sure you get a close shot of the animals and do not click unnecessary photos”.

Considering the zoo pictures as my first ever photos, I did a decent job. But with every photo, I wanted to get better. They say, “Practice makes a man perfect” and this is what I did. I made a considerable progress with every photo I clicked.

During the course of this learning curve, here’s what I discovered:

Visualize your Surroundings: Visualization is very important. So, take your time and visualize the kind of image you want to click. Understand the surroundings keeping the focus on the subject. With a clear imagination, you’ll get ideas and will know what is required.

Wide Angle: Always use a wide angle to capture a landscape, this is to cover maximum and give you a wider angle view. Trust me, with this technique your landscapes will come out wonderful.   

Sharp Subject: If you need to capture a sharp subject, especially when you have the challenge of clicking in low light condition, use a tripod. I know, this may not sound like a big deal, but trust me, it is. Focusing for even few seconds can get your hands shaky, but using a tripod will help prevent you from capturing a blurred image. It will grant you both stability and correctness.

EDFAT (Entire Detail, Framing, Angle, Timing): The key to capturing a good photo is to frame every possible detail from the correct angle and more significantly, at the specific time. This technique will allow you to fine-tune your photos and get the best shot.

Lighting techniques: Every great photo is backed by the perfect light. There’s nothing better than getting a good shot under natural light- the sun. Make sure your subject faces the light while you photograph it. In case you wish to add drama to your subject, you can allow the light to focus from behind.  During every photography course, the subject of lighting is given great importance. It is comprehensively taught and emphasised on.

Today, my photos are highly appreciated because I stayed focused and made attempts to better my photography. I also kept few things in mind like by taking constructive feedback from people because this helped me improve and implement where it was required.

I was also a keen observer of photos clicked by other photographers. I tried to analyse what techniques they had used and tried it myself.

And with this approach, time did the rest! Today I can proudly say: my photographs are picture perfect!