5 Surprising tips about your eyes from a photographer
When I recently went to see my local optometrist, Nicholas Altuneg from Eyes By Design in Kincumber NSW, for my regular eye checkup, we were chatting about some of the more technical challenges I face as a commercial photographer.
I also realised that if that’s true for me, it’s probably true for you too. Why? Well, it’s as simple as this. Do you own a reasonably modern mobile phone? If so, you probably take photos rather regularly with it.
In fact, for a lot of people, their mobile phone has replaced the pocket cameras we all seem to carry with us for creating memories at family gatherings, on holiday, or just when you see something really wonderful you want to have as a visual memory of. And, of course, we share it all online now on social media, right?
But when we take photos with our phone, it doesn’t change the fact that we want to take great shots. And this is where the idea came about to share 5 simple tips I thought you’d appreciate as a photographer (yes I’m calling you a photographer) that may help you improve your pictures a bit more. So here we go.
5 Tips for better photos:
# 1 For better photos, clean your lenses, both the one on the camera and your eyeglasses.
If you’re like me and wear corrective lenses or spectacles, you’ll know just how often you clean your glasses. Trying to see out of finger-smudged lenses is one of those things none of us can stand for long. Eventually, we get fed up, find our microfibre cleaning cloth, give the lens a quick spray of lens cleaner if you have some handy and the smudges be gone!
So if that’s true for the lenses on your glasses, why would it be any different to the lens on the front of your camera?
It’s the same thing. How could we expect the camera to take a great photo if the lens is dirty? In fact, your camera lens is very likely full of fingerprints. You know how you handle your phone. And you probably even put it down on a dirty table, lens down, too, right?
So, every time, before you snap that shot, give your camera lens a clean. Ideally, you’ll give it the same love and care you do with your eyeglasses, but at least give the lens a wipe with your microfibre cloth. And you can’t get to that, you’re in (sort of) luck with most modern phones.
In most cases, the lenses on these ‘pocket cameras’ use extremely tough glass that resists scratching, so you could get away with a cotton t-shirt or clean jeans. Just make sure there’s no hard grime that could scratch the glass. Do this and guarantee you’ll notice a difference in the clarity of your pictures.
Finally, obviously, clean your glasses too. You can’t compose your photo if you can’t see clearly, nor can you see your new work of art as well. So, give it a clean.
# 2 Let your eyes adjust to the lighting conditions
One thing I see people do all the time when taking photos is keeping their sunglasses on. What they don’t realise is that they’d be better off to take those sunnies off for a minute and letting their eyes adjust to the light.
This way, when you do take that fab shot of a beach scene, sunset or that cute puppy playing ball, you’ll know if there’s something in the shadows you really wanted to include or if the sun is just so bright and backlighting the scene such that you can’t even see your subject.
Of course, you don’t want to be straining your eyes, but that little bit of a workout for your eyes is actually good for them. There are muscles in there. Even when you’re editing your photos, maybe like I do on a bigger screen, like your home computer or laptop, take the time to look away, preferably at something far away. Changing the focus distance that you’re looking at will help you go back to editing with a new perspective.
This little trick of looking away and back is something that even helps with noticing things in the image you may not have picked up on and may choose to edit out. So the habit here is to look up & look away before you look back at your pics again.
# 3 Don’t put too much in the frame, keep it simple and focused
One of the things that make for a great photo is having something specific to focus on. Imagine you’re in a beautiful flower garden, and no matter where you look, there’s something beautiful to see. Trying to capture all of that in one shot may give you a good sense of the overall place, but it doesn’t allow the viewer to focus on a simple subject.
So what I recommend in this case is to take both shots. One of the whole scene to start with. Good. Got that out of the way. Next, look for things within the scene to get closer to. You’ll notice that as long as your subject is well-lit and in focus, the stuff in the background will naturally get a bit blurry and out of focus. That difference between what’s in focus and what’s not helps create, well… focus.
If you want to get really techie about it, we photographers like to use a fancy word called ‘bokeh’, which essentially means an area within a photo that gradually goes out of focus further away (either in front of or behind) from the subject. Give this a try and practice with plenty of things that are cool up close to see and watch the background go all blurry. It’s a great effect and will definitely get more ‘wow’ in your shots.
# 4 Get steady. Use a tripod, or lean your camera against something to reduce motion (motion blur)
If there’s something that mobile phones have introduced as a challenge is the fact that when we take photos, we tend to hold the phone with our arms stretched out, then we compose our shot, and then we press the shutter button on the screen to capture the moment. The problem is, when you click the shutter to take the picture, you’re shaking your phone, a lot!
Now, if it’s a bright sunny day or your subject is well-lit, you will likely get away with getting a clear picture, but if it’s a bit dark, you’re ’going to catch yourself probably wanting to retake that shot because it was all blurry. The point is you moved the camera when it was still trying to get the shot in low light. The shutter in the camera was likely still open, trying to gather enough light to actually be able to ‘see’. So how can you solve this problem?
Get a tripod, or put your phone up against a wall, a tree or something else to help you not shake. A tripod that would work well with a phone doesn’t have to be very expensive. Your phone is not as heavy as the fancy cameras I use, so you can get away with something small, light and convenient to keep with you most of the time.
The one thing you’ll need with your tripod is a little clip or grip that will hold your phone and attach to the tripod.
The next trick is, as long as you’re not trying to capture an ‘instant’ moment, try using the shutter timer feature. Almost every mobile phone camera app has this feature. If you tap the shutter and wait 2 seconds, by then, your phone is not being bustled around and will eliminate the blurriness caused by your motion.
That doesn’t stop things moving in front of your lens from being blurry. The scene (or people) still need to be still enough to grab the moment. But at least you’ve eliminated the motion you’d introduced by shaking your shutter at just the wrong time.
# 5 Get your eyes checked regularly
if your photos are still blurry, maybe that’s a sign that it’s not your photography skills, but rather your eyes
Our eyes are all getting an immense workout every day. With how much we stare at screens, both big and small, we’re really working those eyeballs of ours a lot. But because most of the time, our eyesight changes slowly and gradually, we sometimes fail to pick up on just how much it’s changed.
So those glasses your wearing (or maybe the ones you should be wearing) may no longer be allowing you to see as well. Don’t hesitate to call your optometrist to book an appointment regularly. Maybe you’ll be lucky and not have had much change at all. But if you do, getting those new glasses is just going to make your life easier. And you’ll be able to enjoy all the photos you’re taking that much more!
So, in short, if you own a modern mobile phone, you’re a photographer. You don’t have to be earning a living taking photos to appreciate just how important your eyes are.
And remember, the best camera is the one you have with you.
This article was written by Marc Charette from Work Pics 360
