Have you bought a new lens and look for ways to play well with it? Or you have a long-abandoned lens on your shelf, and you still can't find an application for it? This article is for photographers and amateurs who want to understand what their lens is capable of and how to find new ways to get great shots.
Top 6 Practical Tips for Using Your Lenses
Below you will find advice to help you work with a new or long-purchased, but bad lens.
1. Avoid Automatic Zooming
Automation is not always a good solution. We are too accustomed to such convenient auto modes, which supposedly themselves find the right zest or the right distance for the shot. The first advice would be to find the distance to the desired object in the frame, not using the zoom, but due to the photographer's own movement. Do not stand in one place. Search, in the truest sense of the word. Move further, or vice versa, take a couple of steps forward. This is important because this is how you can truly recognize your camera and the things it can do. When zooming, the image is distorted, the corners are smoothed and the object's former clarity is lost.
2. Take Diverse Shots
In order to try out all the possible functions of your lens, you need to try to photograph as many objects of different nature as possible. You should not stop separately on portrait shooting, or on the landscape. Try to combine and substitute in the frame everything that catches your eye.
The fact is that for each type of shooting you need your own settings, a certain angle, the right light. This way you can understand exactly which direction your lens gives a better image.
No matter where you are, all that is important is in your hands. Catch any detail, any trifle with your eyes. Think that there is nothing interesting around you now? You are deeply mistaken. Read the
article about interesting objects for photos, and you will understand everything by yourself. The author will help you understand that beauty can be found everywhere, it is important to be observant.
Also, take the time to explore additional resources, such as
masteryourlens.libsyn.com podcasts, created so that each photographer can understand what kind of miracle is in his hands. The author will tell you how to squeeze the most out of your camera, how to take care of it properly. And also you can find ways to develop your own talent and fantasy.
3. Keep the Lens Clean and Safe
It is known that buying a new thing, we take it very carefully, literally blow off every particle of dust from it. However, after some time, when the purchased object becomes habitual for us, this trembling feelings gradually fades away, and we treat it more carelessly. Unfortunately, it often leads to serious damage, scratches, and the breakage of the purchase.
The lens needs constant care. Yes, it may sound strange at first, but the lens is a rather fragile thing, and therefore it does not tolerate negligence. Follow the simple instructions when caring for a lens, and it will serve you for a long time. More details about cleaning lenses can be found
here.
4. Live with One Lens for Several Weeks
In order to understand all the advantages of a particular lens, time is needed. Try using only one type of lens for several weeks daily. This way you will have time to find all the strengths and weaknesses of the lens. Moreover, you will get used to it and will be able to catch the necessary shots automatically, without thinking about whether the lens will be able to display what you see. You will be sure of it.
Try to find the most unloved lens in your arsenal and use it for a couple of weeks. After completing the trial time you will be able to discover a huge amount of its advantages.
5. Examine Lens Abilities at Different Focal Lengths
The quality of the photo directly depends on the ratio of the capabilities of the lens to the idea of the shot, chosen by the photographer. Initially, buying a lens you already know at what distance it will transmit the image as clearly as possible since this depends on the capabilities of the lens. However, what if you study the very possibilities of the lens. After all, not always the best photo is the clearest photo, is it?
Nevertheless, the best solution would be to test in practice what task your lens will do better. Change the distance, adjust the sharpness, and then compare in fact what result each of the options will give you.
6. Line up the Composition to the Maximum
The main weapon of the photographer is the correctly found best composition. However, in order to find it, you need to sort out countless options so that the result will be something absolutely beautiful. Find out the tips on how to find the right composition from an experienced photographer Andrew S. Gibson in his
article.
However, each lens has its limit. So why not find this very limit, and not see what happens if you use the capabilities of the lens to the maximum? If you have a widescreen lens, what if you bring it closer to the maximum distance using the focal length? Use your lens as it would seem impossible. Look for new limits and go beyond the ordinary use of that particular lens.
Sure, you can stumble upon a lot of failures that can be confusing. However, do not give them the opportunity to influence you and do not give up. All the beautiful is exactly the way of mistakes, numerous mistakes, but the result is worth the effort.
Summing Up
If you strive for the best, be prepared for that you have to go beyond the ordinary. You should not dwell on the pursuit of brands that shout that it is their products that will make your work unique and better. This is not true. Only in your hands is the quality of your work, you just need to use even the smallest opportunity, and then the result will not keep you waiting.
Mary is a well-known American freelance blogger with advanced writing skills. She currently works as a translator at
TheWordPoint translation service. Mary had experience in editing, marketing, and her works appeared in different publications and website articles. From 2015 till the present has been studying at William Paterson University as a philosopher. Her main goal in life is not to set up any goals and keep working every day.
