It’s the first problem many photographers realize when they embark on their professional photography journey. Everyone thinks we spend all day taking pictures when, in reality, there’s a fair amount of computer work on things like marketing, accounting, and of course, editing.

On this blog, we spend a lot of time helping you learn how to shoot, and today, we’re taking it further into completing the workflow. Because a photographer’s work isn’t done until the images are shared! By the end of this blog post, you’ll be better equipped to take your landscape photography and outdoor photography from capturing the moment to final delivery.

Outdoor Photography Workflow

In this article, we’re going to talk through our workflow principles. Then we’ll walk you through our best tips for speeding up your workflow. And finally, we’ll share our thoughts on choosing editing software and other recommended resources to save time/energy.

This workflow guide is created with support from The Presets Room and contains affiliate links. Testing their presets played a big role in shaping the process we’re excited to share here.

Editing Workflow Philosophy for Outdoor Photography

Outdoor photography is both rewarding and challenging. When you’re surrounded by mountain peaks, forest trails, or dramatic skies, you want your photos to capture that feeling of awe. But nature doesn’t always make it easy — you can’t control the light, the weather, or how quickly conditions change. Sometimes it feels like nature is in a constant battle against us, capturing its beauty.

That means your editing process often starts before you even press the shutter. The better you plan and shoot, the less you’ll need to fix later. If we want to spend more time outside and less time in front of a computer, it starts with a solid plan for your workflow.

Our editing style is true to life and vibrant. We want our photos to reflect the adventure with clarity as we experienced it, capturing subtle details, not something overly manufactured. And the way we get there isn’t by heavy-handed edits — it’s by shooting intentionally and streamlining the editing process so it’s fast, simple, and efficient. The edit should add to the image, drawing out the important parts.

Field Notes:

When we’re out on a multi-day shoot for a client with a long shot list, we have to have a solid process to make sure we get through the workflow quickly and efficiently without compromising quality. Having a plan for how we’re going to shoot, import, edit, and deliver is essential. Especially because some clients want previews to assure them that the shoot is going well.

The Problem: Too Much Time Editing, Not Enough Time Adventuring

Here’s the reality: many photographers spend more time sitting at a computer than out exploring with their camera. Without a clear editing workflow, it’s easy to:

• Lose hours tweaking RAW files.
• End up with inconsistent images from the same shoot.
• Burn out on editing before you’ve even shared your photos.

The good news? By building a structured outdoor photography workflow, you can cut your editing time dramatically — which means more time shooting and adventuring.

Core Workflow Principles

Let’s talk through some core workflow principles that will help streamline your post-production. We’re going to walk through how to plan ahead in the field, cull and organize, batch edit, and export and backup your photos.

1. Plan Ahead in the Field

The best way to save time editing is to capture photos that need less editing in the first place. Below are a few ways to speed along your editing before you even sit at the keyboard. I’m talking about how you see, when you shoot, and mastering your camera settings using the right technique.

How to plan ahead:

• See the light: use the CHAI principle (Color, Hardness, Angle, Intensity) to evaluate conditions.
• Timing matters: sunrise, sunset, and golden hour often make editing easier later.
• Get it right in-camera: pay attention to exposure and white balance to avoid hours of correction later.

2. Cull and Organize First

Now, as we know, editing starts with selecting your best images. A big barrier for a lot of photographers is that you come home with thousands of nature photos, and it’s hard to go from that overwhelm to having edited images that you can share or deliver. So you need to have a plan for what the first step is going to be when you get back to your desk.

This includes simple yet very hard things, for example, like when and how you’ll import your photos. And then, how will you organize them or use metadata to organize files so that you can find them later? And what do we do with all those duplicates!?

Learning how to cull can be brutal at first because you’re making a thousand little decisions. Some people like to cull in, and others like to cull out, which is a technique that varies from photographer to photographer. This means some people are selecting their favorites, whereas others are eliminating images. Personally, I like to select my favorites because I get to focus more on the good shots than the mistakes! AI tools can help make simple decisions like eliminating blurry photos or detecting when eyes are closed, but the final decisions will be up to you.

How to cull and organize:

There are obviously a wide variety of ways to approach this, but here are some systems that are working for us.

• Import your RAW files and create an organized folder structure. This is the first step in bringing order to the chaos. Make sure you import the images with the metadata, which will provide additional information embedded in the image files that you can use to improve searchability and categorization.
  • We use a shoot type and date-based folder structure.
  • Shoot types are named by category, starting with a number (i.e., “1.1 – Lifestyle”)
  • Within those folders, there is a year and then subfolders by date (2025.09.25 Outdoor Brand Shoot)
• After import, cull your images using flags, stars, or color labels to mark the keepers quickly. Come up with a ranking system that works for you. Here is a basic outline of our structure:
  • First Pass Cull – edit in by 3-star acceptable images
  • Second Pass Cull – edit out by 2-staring duplicate or lower quality images
  • Third Pass Cull – quickly 4-star images that stand out
  • Red Color Label – Our favorites or the client selects
  • “Select as pick” – client preview images
• We also use a variety of other color labels (yellow, green, blue) for choosing images for various things like printing, slideshows, etc
• Lastly, 5-starred images go in our portfolio and add to the applicable collection for that portfolio

3. Batch for Consistency

Once you’ve chosen your images, don’t edit each one from scratch. Editing software has come too far for you to be spending all day in Lightroom. You’re here reading this post, so I assume you want to be a photographer, not a photo editor.

You need to utilize and install presets that you can use to apply global adjustments to your images. A good preset can go a long way toward saving you time editing. Many of the AI editing tools use presets or editing profiles as a starting point when editing. That’s because it’s the most efficient way to get consistent results, and that’s what we should do when editing.

If you don’t have years of edited photos to build a profile from, a good solution is to find a preset. The Presets Room is a great source for presets that will help you as you develop your unique style. Do you want a moody wedding editing style or light and airy? Maybe you want the sports or landscape collection.

The wide variety of options they offer will give you a great starting point and save substantial time to getting final edited images delivered to your clients or printed on a wall.

How to batch:

• Apply global adjustments (exposure, contrast, white balance) across a set. This is why shooting in manual is so important.
• Sync edits on similar images to keep the look consistent.
• Save time with presets like the ones found at The Presets Room as a baseline for developing your unique editing style.
• Use AI-powered batch editing software to significantly speed up your workflow. You’ll likely need to start with a preset to dial in your editing style so the AI can learn your preferences.

4. Back Up and Export

Your workflow isn’t complete until your photos are safe and ready to share. File storage is another big challenge for photographers. It takes time to process photos, sure, but moving, sorting, importing, and backing up are more challenges for you to tackle.

And then, you’ll want to finalize your photos. Revisit your edits, export the final image, and share it somewhere! Don’t let that nature photography editing go to waste by never letting anyone see it.

How to back up:

This area is boring but so important. If you’ve ever lost files, you know the panicked feeling it induces. Save yourself the headache and develop a plan that can grow with you. I highly recommend getting a NAS drive like a Synology so you have scalable capacity with partial backup built in (RAID setup). You’ll also need some disks to go with it, these are what I use.

• Always back up files locally and in the cloud.
• We use the 3-2-1 backup rule – 3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite
• Create export presets (web, print, social media) to save time.
  • We have export presets for social platforms like Instagram and YouTube
  • We have export presets for clients (high and low resolution)

How to Edit Your Outdoor Photography

Let’s talk about the nitty-gritty of editing outdoor photography. Let’s talk through some of the common global adjustments like adjusting exposure, contrast, clarity, and saturation. Then we’ll mention a few of the photo-specific adjustments, like spot healing.

• Exposure: Adjusting exposure makes the photo as bright or dark as desired and helps recover details in shadows and highlights. The photo histogram is a tool that can help optimize the exposure levels during editing, but we mostly go from the look of the image.
• White Balance: Adjusting white balance can correct an overall displeasing or unnatural color tone in an image. Make sure to shoot in RAW so you can adjust this easily and non-destructively.
• Contrast: go easy on this slider, you’re much better off using something like the curves to generate contrast
• Clarity: less is more
• Sharpening: Sharpening an image gives it a crisper, cleaner look and enhances detail. We generally use a preset for this unless a more detailed edit is required.
• Saturation: Increasing saturation makes all colors in a photo more intense while maintaining brightness in lighter colors. I often like the Vibrance slider more than saturation, as it focuses on the muted colors without oversaturating.

There are some adjustments you’re more likely to make photo by photo.

• Spot Adjustments: Spot cleaning can remove distracting elements from the background of an image.
• Dodging and Burning: Burning refers to selectively darkening areas of an image to emphasize shadow and shape. Sometimes this is important, but I mainly use the AI filters now.
• Linear or Graduated Filters: This is a great way to darken an area of an image to gently guide the viewer’s eye.
• AI-Powered Adjustments: Inside Lightroom’s masking tool, there are a ton of powerful masks like subject selection, sky selection, and others that let you tweak exposure in specific areas. (one of my favorite tools)

Tips to Speed Up Outdoor Photography Editing

Even with a solid workflow, you can still make editing faster. In this section, we’ll talk through a few tips you’ll want to make sure to consider. As you fine-tune your own process, some of these tips might help.

As a husband and wife photography team, you can imagine we come home from a shoot with thousands of images. We also have a storytelling and photojournalistic style, which means we’re not just snapping one perfect shot but rather shooting through the moment to capture peak action and emotion. Over the years, fine-tuning our workflow and generating new ideas to speed up our editing process has saved us countless hours.

On average, professional photographers spend hours editing for every shoot, but batch editing can reduce that drastically.

Presets Save Time:

Lightroom presets can instantly enhance outdoor photos by optimizing tones, brightness, and color. They’re especially useful if you’re just starting to develop your editing style. Check out some free Lightroom presets from The Presets Room.

I also encourage people to utilize the preset, then dive in and see what sort of changes it made. This will help you learn and develop your own style by further tweaking images to suit your vision.

Samples from the Presets Room

Here are a few recent examples utilizing some presets from the preset room. We used their Landscape preset collection as well as their Portraits collection to show you how you can get a quick edited look with minimal effort:

AI Editing Tools:

Once you’ve edited enough images (usually starting with presets), AI-powered batch editing tools can learn your preferences and apply them automatically. Most AI platforms require a lot of images to “train” on, so presets are a great way to get consistent results before you’ve built up a big library.

Check out Aftershoot, they are a leading company for wedding and portrait photographers, but we also use them for commercial work. Use code “MarcBergreen15” to get 15% off.

Another AI editing software we use is Imagen. We like their service specifically for commercial shoots of interiors because of the perspective correction and window exposure adjustments they offer.

Shortcuts & Custom Workspaces:

Learning keyboard shortcuts and customizing your editing software layout shaves minutes off every session. A few that I recommend you learn for Lightroom are:

• D – Develop
• G – Grid View
• E – Loupe view
• N – Compare
• Shift Tab – show/hide windows
• Shift F – full screen (press twice for max)
• P / X – Pick or reject
• Numbers 1-9 – Star and color ratings

Batch Editing:

Use the “sync” or “copy adjustments” features to apply edits across multiple images at once. Editing 50 or even 100 photos doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Start with a baseline preset, edit them in groups based on lighting conditions, and copy settings across each group. From there, you can select your top images and dive deeper into image-specific edits. With practice, your process will move much faster.

Stick to the Basics:

Cropping, adjusting exposure, white balance, contrast, and sharpening often do more for your photo than over-editing ever will. We always say simple is best and focus on the basics. Use the 80 / 20 rule to get most of the results (80% of your results come from 20% of your effort when it is spent on the right things).

Choosing an Editing Software

When it comes to outdoor photography editing, the software you choose will shape your entire workflow. Programs like Lightroom, Photoshop, and Capture One are popular editing software for photographers and industry standards because they combine essential tools (exposure, contrast, white balance, crop, and clarity) with advanced options for fine-tuning your images before you print.

If you’re just starting out or want to save money, there are also free editing software alternatives, such as Darktable or GIMP. While they may not have all the bells and whistles, they’re powerful enough for basic adjustments and experimenting with your editing style.

Pros and Cons of Cloud-based Options

One important thing to note: many programs now offer cloud-based options (like Lightroom CC), which make it easier to edit across devices and even collaborate with others. This can save time and keep your workflow consistent, whether you’re on your computer, tablet, or phone.

While cloud editing may work for some, I find that managing a large catalog is best done in Lightroom Classic on a laptop or desktop setup. Our current catalog is pushing 350k images, and it still runs smoothly with almost all those images stored on a NAS drive that can be accessed from anywhere with internet (albeit a little slow).

Bottom line, if you’re a working pro, Lightroom Classic is likely the solution for you.

Non-destructive Editing

Finally, always check whether a program offers non-destructive editing. This means your original RAW files stay intact while you edit, giving you the freedom to experiment without losing quality. In contrast, destructive editing writes over the original file, which can be risky if you ever want to revisit your untouched image. Lightroom is always non-destructive, while Photoshop is often destructive.

The bottom line? Choose the tool that fits your budget, your workflow, and the kind of outdoor images you love to create.

Recommended Resources

Every photographer eventually develops their own editing style, but it takes time and practice. As I’ve mentioned, presets are one of the best tools for getting started — they give you a solid baseline and aim to ensure consistency across your images. From there, you can tweak and refine until your photos reflect your unique vision.

The Presets Room

One option I recommend for outdoor photographers is The Presets Room. Their curated collections are designed to simplify editing and keep your photos looking natural and vibrant, and they also have free Lightroom presets to get you started. It’s the kind of tool that helps you spend less time dragging sliders and more time outside, camera in hand.

For example, the Landscape collection is crafted to bring out the best in your landscape photography. There are 17 base presets and 6 modifier tools for more customized edits. These presets help enhance your outdoor shots, whether you’re looking for dramatic effects or natural enhancements. There are even specialized settings for snow-covered landscapes to make your nature photography editing a dream.

Examples from the Preset Room

Below are a few more examples of images I edited from our recent backpacking trip using the presets from the Landscape and Portrait collections:

Conclusion: Simplify Editing, Spend More Time Outdoors

Editing is part of the process, but it shouldn’t be where your photography passion goes to die. With a clear workflow, smart shooting in the field, and time-saving tools like presets or AI software, you can make editing your nature photos efficient and enjoyable. I hope this post gave you some practical ideas to simplify your outdoor photography editing workflow.

The goal is simple: spend less time behind a screen on Lightroom and more time out in nature, telling stories with your camera. These days, we’re trying to spend more time shooting because that’s where we make our money and that’s where our skillset lies. Remember, batch editing and presets can cut your editing time significantly — freeing up hours each week to go create!

Because at the end of the day, the best workflow is the one that keeps you doing what you love: living adventurously and capturing it with your camera. Links in this post may be affiliate links, and this extensive workflow article was brought to you with the support of The Presets Room.

If you have any questions about our process, feel free to reach out. We love helping others learn and grow with their photography!

About the Authors

We’re the Bergreens, a husband-and-wife photography team based in Evergreen, Colorado. On our blog, we share gear tips, creative insights, and lessons from over a decade of shooting professionally. Dive into our favorite guides, from drone photography accessories to ND filters, or learn how to shoot with your favorite focal length.

Curious how 35mm and 50mm lenses compare? We’ve got you covered there too. We also offer free resources to help photographers thrive—whether you’re building a creative business or just trying to figure out what gear you really need. Download our Free Creative Business Guide or our Money + Gear Guide for Photographers to get started.

Got questions? Contact us—we’re always happy to help. And just so you know, some product links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through them. It’s a great way to support the blog, and we only recommend gear we love.

The post Outdoor Photography Workflow: Spend Less Time Editing, More Time Shooting appeared first on .

But sometimes… sometimes the blur is where the magic happens.

Motion blur can tell a more emotional, dynamic, and honest story. It brings photography to life by showing time, energy, and movement. And let’s not forget—it can be really fun. Blur invites us to experiment and play again, adding a new layer of creativity to an otherwise predictable shoot.

In this post, we’re diving into the world of motion blur:

• Why Motion Blur is Awesome
• What Motion Blur Is
• When to Use Motion Blur
• And How to Capture Motion Blur Beautifully

Prefer to watch instead? Here’s the full video:

Gear I Recommend for Motion Blur Photography: 

Why Motion Blur is More Than Just a Mistake

Let’s start with a mindset shift: motion blur isn’t a flaw—it’s a feature.

When you add motion blur, it gives your images energy and emotion. It tells the viewer, “This isn’t just a snapshot. This is life happening in real time.”

Think about it—people dance, run, twirl, and laugh. Water flows. Cars speed past. Wind blows through the trees. When we capture motion blur, we get to lean into all of that. Instead of freezing a moment, you stretch it. You let the image breathe a little. That kind of storytelling feels alive. Long exposures with motion blur can produce stunning light trails in low-light conditions.

The bonus? It’s playful, unpredictable, and full of surprises—in the best way.

What Is Motion Blur, Technically?

Motion blur happens when something moves during your exposure. You capture this blur by using a slower shutter speed—the longer the shutter stays open, the more movement your camera records. A slower shutter speed results in more motion blur as it allows more light to enter the camera over a longer period.

That movement could come from:

• The subject (like a runner or cyclist zooming past)
• Your camera (as in panning or intentional camera movement)

The motion blur effect mimics how the human eye registers fast movement as an unfocused object.

And just to clarify—blur doesn’t mean out of focus. You can still have sharp focus while letting motion draw streaks and shapes across your frame. Instead of eliminating motion blur that was an accident, we’re creating motion blur intentionally.

When Should You Use Motion Blur?

In photography, we talk a lot about aperture and depth of field. But shutter speed is one of the most underused camera settings and creative tools we have. Generally we prefer fast shutter speeds due to our fear of camera shake and our desire for sharp photos.

Yes, fast shutter speeds freeze the moment. But slow shutter speeds stretch the moment. And that can be powerful.

Here are some beautiful ways motion blur tells a story:

• A waterfall turned to soft, flowing silk with a long exposure
• Headlights on a nighttime highway streaking across the frame
• Dancers becoming brushstrokes of motion and feeling
• Cyclists blurring past a still background, suggesting speed
• Wedding moments: dress twirls, reception commotion, dance floor energy

These aren’t just cool effects. They say, “This isn’t a posed moment. This is life in motion.”

How to Create Motion Blur: 5 Practical Tips

Now that you’re inspired, let’s talk about the how—because creating motion blur takes intention and technique.

1. Know Your Shutter Speed Ranges

You don’t need a 5-minute exposure to capture movement. Motion blur can be subtle yet impactful.

Start with:

• 1/10 to 1/60 sec – Perfect for handheld shots of walking, dancing, or motion in street scenes.
• Slower than 1 second – Great for long exposure shots like waterfalls or light trails.
• 15 seconds to minutes – Needed for things like star trails or ultra-long exposures.

Some general starting points for motion blur:

• Waterfalls: Try 0.5 seconds and adjust from there. Use an ND filter if it’s bright.
• Star trails: You’ll need 15+ minutes and a very low ISO (like 400). Milky Way shots, by contrast, might require ISO 6400 and shorter exposures (~20 sec).
• Running or cycling: Base your shutter speed on how fast the subject is moving and your focal length. Moving subject, moving objects, fast motion, these action shots can be fun and powerful.

Don’t be afraid to test, adjust, and repeat. Motion blur is as much about feel as it is about numbers.

2. Use ND Filters in Daylight

Slower shutter speeds let in more light, which can overexpose your photo—especially in daylight. That’s where ND filters (neutral density filters) come in.

Think of them as sunglasses for your lens. They block light so you can keep your shutter open longer.

A quick breakdown:

• Variable ND filters: Great for video and flexible use.
• Fixed ND filters: Better for long exposure stills, and they avoid polarizing effects that can darken parts of the sky.

If you’re shooting waterfalls or street scenes during the day, you’ll likely need one.

3. Try Panning Shots

This technique is all about following your subject with your camera while using a slower shutter speed to add motion blur .

Done right, the subject stays relatively sharp while the background blurs in a direction of motion. It takes practice, but it gives a real sense of speed and energy.

Ideal for:

• Cyclists
• Runners
• Cars
• Kids playing (bonus: it’s fun chaos)

4. Layer Blur with Still Subjects

One of the most powerful storytelling tricks: combine a still subject with blurred motion around them.

Think of:

• A street performer in focus while people blur past
• A bride standing calmly while guests bustle around her
• A traveler on a train platform as trains rush by

These kinds of pictures speak to solitude, stillness, or calm in the chaos. They’re poetic and powerful.

5. Intentional Camera Movement (ICM)

This one’s for the true creatives. ICM is exactly what it sounds like: moving your camera on purpose during a long exposure.

Tilt, swirl, or swipe your camera during the shot to create abstract, painterly results. It’s less about capturing a moment and more about creating one.

Motion Blur Pro Tip:

Want a blend of blur and sharpness? Combine ICM with off-camera flash to create motion blur photography . The flash will freeze certain elements (especially darker areas), while ambient light continues to blur. The result? Dramatic and dreamy.

6. Other Tips for Motion Blur: Tripods, ISO, and Shutter Priority

Using a tripod can help combat camera shake and improve motion blur photography. Lowering the ISO can reduce the graininess in motion blur photography. While I recommend manual mode, shooting in shutter priority mode can make it easier to adjust the shutter speed for motion blur. In commercial settings, a motion background can be used to make product images more compelling and eye-catching, which can lead to increased interest and sales.

Final Thoughts: Motion Blur Is Beautiful

Next time the world is in motion—don’t freeze it. Blur it.

Let your photos breathe and enhance their emotional impact . Let them move. Try something new, even if it feels messy or out of control. That’s where the best creativity often lives.

Want to give it a shot? Drop a comment below or tag me in your favorite motion blur photos. I’d love to see what you create.

And if you’re new to shooting in manual mode—or need a refresher—check out my video on mastering manual settings so you can take full control of your shutter speed and get creative with confidence.

Until next time—go out and create something beautifully blurry.

Similar Content on the Blog

Looking for more photography tips? Check out these posts on Photography Basics:

• How to Shoot Candids
• Get Sharp Photos Every Time
• How to Shoot in Manual Mode
• Focal Length Explained
• Camera Settings Guide
• ND Filters
• 35mm and 50mm Lens Comparison

About the Authors

We’re the Bergreens, a photography team based in Evergreen, Colorado. On the blog, we share practical photography tips and gear reviews.

Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help! If we link to a product we love, Amazon links and others are affiliate links, it’s a great way to support our ad-free blog.

In the meantime, remember to…

The post How to Photograph Motion Blur: A Creative Guide to Capturing Movement appeared first on .

You see something beautiful in front of you—something that moves you—but when you try to capture it, the photo doesn’t just fail to pop… it falls completely flat. You look at it and go… meh… Maybe you can relate?

Well, you’re not alone.

The important thing is not to panic or start questioning your ability, not that I’ve ever done that before. The trick is to stay curious, keep shooting, and be willing to experiment. Because more often than not, the fix is simpler than you think. 

That same person, when looking at photos, was able to identify what was working and why. She knew more than she realized; she just needed to use it.

Equipment won’t make your photos less boring, but it can help

Some of My Favorite Photography Gear:

Why Your Photos Look Boring and How to Fix It

Today, we’re going to break down why some photos fall flat and how to instantly bring more life, more emotion, and more interest into your images. By the end, I want you to identify exactly what you need to learn to improve your photography and then get after it!

If you’ve ever looked at your photos and thought, “Why do these just look… boring?”—you’re not alone. It’s a common frustration for beginner photographers, and even most professional photographers can relate to it . The good news? Boring photos can almost always be improved with a few key shifts in technique, perspective, and mindset.

In this post, we’ll cover practical tips that will help you take more compelling photos—whether you’re shooting with a smartphone or a professional-level camera. Let’s dive into the reasons your photos might feel flat and how to bring them to life.

The Lighting is Unflattering

Lighting can make or break a photo. The camera sees light differently than our eyes do, and understanding how light works will instantly level up your images. There’s a reason I’m always talking about golden hour, and it’s not just for landscape photography.

Taking photos in beautiful light will be the fastest way to turn boring photos into great photos. You want to capture the viewers’ attention? Capture the light!

And if the light in your image is flat, harsh, or uninspired, it’s really hard to make the photo feel alive, no matter how interesting the subject is. Harsh midday sun can kill the mood. Deep shade can hide the emotion. Bad light doesn’t always mean wrong light—it just means it’s not doing anything interesting.

Learn to See Light

So before you blame your camera or your editing, take a look at what the light is doing. Control the light when you can, which sometimes just means shifting your body position. And when the light is bad from all directions, learn how to work with what you have.

This is one of the most important photography tips for beginners.

Color: Chase Beautiful Light

Try shooting during golden hour—shortly after sunrise or before sunset—for soft, warm, and flattering light. The low angle of the sun adds texture, warmth, and long shadows that bring images to life. Learn to see the color of light. Is it golden or blue or somewhere along that spectrum?

Angle: Pay Attention to Direction

Observe where the light is coming from. Side lighting reveals texture and adds drama, while front lighting flattens subjects. Backlighting can be magical, especially if you expose for the highlights or include some lens flare. What angle is the light coming from? Is it above? From the back, front, or side? Backlight, frontlight, and sidelight are all more fun to play with than that midday sun from above.

Hardness and Intensity: Use Shade and Reflectors

If the sun is too harsh, look for shaded areas for more even exposure. You can also use a white surface—a piece of paper, a wall, or even your hand—to bounce light back onto your subject. Soft light is usually diffused, maybe by a cloud or open shade. Soft window light will have a different effect than hard direct sun.

How intense is the light? Is it nuclear and blinding and harsh? We feel like we’re under investigation, like in the doctor’s office. Or is it more pleasing, like at the spa? Is the difference between the light and shadows extreme and intense or more balanced? Starting to see these differences in your daily life will help you capture them in photography.

You’re Not Thinking About Composition

One of the biggest culprits behind boring photos, even for professional photographers, is weak composition. Composition is how you arrange the elements in your frame, and it’s the difference between a snapshot and a photograph that tells a story.

If you have a distracting background or can’t identify your main subject, you have badly composed photos. After this section, you’re going to be looking for more interesting angles, whether you’re into wildlife photography or portraits.

Sshoot from weird angles. Get low. Climb up. Look for reflections. Photograph through something. A new angle can add so much energy to an otherwise ordinary shot. It doesn’t have to be dramatic—it just has to be different.

Move Your Body

If you always shoot from eye level with your subject in the center of the frame, it’s going to feel predictable. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong—it just means your photo might not have any tension or energy. Try breaking the rules. Use leading lines. Frame your subject off-center. Change your point of view. A simple shift in composition can completely change the feeling of a photo. If this is your problem, it might be time to learn more about composition.

This doesn’t mean spinning your focal ring, it means moving your body. Get high, low, near, far, move around until you see the scene differently. You might need to get low to avoid a distracting background or get further away for more context. You might move around and suddenly see patterns or leading lines or other composition elements that you can include.

When it comes to composition photography tips for beginners, this is where you can start. Don’t get too technical, just move.

Use the Rule of Thirds

Most people center their subject without thinking. Try placing your subject off-center by imagining your frame divided into thirds (like a tic-tac-toe board) and positioning important elements along those lines or intersections. This draws the viewer’s eye and creates a more dynamic photo.

Create Depth

A flat image can feel lifeless. Instead, look for ways to include foreground, middle ground, and background elements, as well as a natural frame to create depth in your photo. For example, if you’re photographing a mountain, include a tree or person in the foreground for scale.

Use Leading Lines and Framing

Leading lines—like roads, fences, rivers, or shadows—naturally guide the viewer’s eye through your photo. Framing your subject with natural elements like windows, doorways, or trees can also add visual interest and context.

Fill the Frame

Too much empty space or background clutter can be distracting. Try getting closer to your subject or zooming in to create a more intentional image. Ask yourself: “What do I want the viewer to notice first?” Then compose accordingly.

You Don’t Understand Your Camera Yet – Quick Guide to Camera Settings

Using Auto Mode is fine to start, but learning manual settings unlocks creative control. Think of your camera as a tool—you get better results when you know how to use it. In this section, we’ll do a quick overview of camera settings you need to know.

ISO

ISO controls the camera’s sensitivity to light. Use low ISO (100–400) in bright conditions for clean images. Higher ISO (800+) helps in low light but adds noise (grain). Think of ISO like your camera’s flashlight—only turn it up when you really need it.

Aperture (f-stop)

A wider aperture (lower f-number like f/2.8) lets in more light and creates a blurry background—great for portraits. A narrower aperture (higher f-number like f/11) keeps more of the image in focus, making it ideal for landscapes. Aperture also affects how much light hits your sensor, so it’s key to exposure.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed controls how long your shutter stays open. A fast shutter speed (like 1/1000s) freezes motion—great for sports or wildlife, while a longer shutter speed can create beautiful blurs . Slower shutter speeds (1/30s or slower) blur motion and create dreamy effects—perfect for waterfalls or night photography. Just don’t forget your tripod when you’re planning to drop your shutter speed!

Often photographers just think about making sure the shutter speed is fast enough to get a sharp photo or to prevent camera shake. Don’t forget you can use shutter speed creatively, too.

Modes to Try:

• Aperture Priority Mode (A/Av): You set the aperture, camera adjusts the shutter. Great for portraits or anytime you want control over depth of field.
• Shutter Priority Mode (S/Tv): You set the shutter speed, camera adjusts the aperture. Ideal for action shots or low light.
• Manual Mode: You control both aperture and shutter speed. This mode gives you full creative control but requires more practice. I highly recommend learning to shoot in manual mode because it ensures you truly understand your camera settings and aren’t relying on he camera like in aperture priority mode or shutter priority mode.

Bonus: Read Your Histogram

The histogram shows you how light and dark your image is, while the exposure triangle simply refers to the relationship between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture . It’s more reliable than your LCD screen, especially in bright daylight. Learn to use it, and you’ll never accidentally under- or overexpose again.

You’re Not Paying Attention to the Subject

Boring photos often lack a clear subject or point of interest. Ask yourself: What am I trying to say with this image? What’s the story here?

Boring photos lack a clear focal point. If you can’t find the focal point of your photos, you won’t be able to keep the viewer’s attention. Always find the moment: a focal point or an emotion. What draws your eye in? What makes you feel something? Even in a landscape, there can be a moment—a person walking through, a burst of light, a wave crashing.

Strip away distractions until your subject pops. Choose what to include and what to exclude. Crop tighter to eliminate distractions or frame wider to tell more of the story.

Patience

Let’s also talk about timing and patience, because sometimes it’s not what you’re shooting, it’s when. The same scene at different times of day can tell totally different stories. Wait for the wind to catch someone’s hair.

Wait for the clouds to part. And wait for the moment someone laughs or glances over their shoulder. Photography isn’t always about finding the perfect shot—it’s about waiting for it.

And shoot through that moment, in the digital world we don’t need to be afraid to use burst mode to make sure we capture the exact right moment. Sometimes the perfect moment comes right after your planned shot, the moments between whats expected.

Engage with your subject

If you’re photographing people, interact with them to capture authentic expressions. Be present. Talk. Laugh. People respond to energy. Sometimes you need to wait for the right moment, and shoot through the moment.

Avoid distractions

Watch the edges of your frame and remove clutter that competes with your subject. A clean background lets your main subject shine. Noisier photos are boring because they don’t read as clearly.

Your Editing Needs Work

Even great photos can look dull straight out of the camera. Post-processing helps you enhance color, contrast, and mood. Editing isn’t cheating—it’s part of the process.

Over-editing or under-editing can make or break an image. If your colors are too saturated or your shadows are crushed, it can feel unnatural. But skipping editing altogether can also leave a photo feeling unfinished. You don’t need to go crazy with presets or filters. Just be intentional. Think of editing as storytelling, not just stylizing.

Keep it Natural

Avoid heavy filters. A light touch with exposure, white balance, and contrast goes a long way. Try to enhance what’s already there, not change the scene entirely.

Shoot in RAW

RAW files retain more image data and allow for better adjustments in editing software like Lightroom or Photoshop. If you’re serious about improving your photos, start shooting RAW today and consult your camera manual for best practices .

Learn the Basics

Master simple edits like straightening the horizon, correcting white balance, adjusting shadows and highlights, and adding just the right amount of contrast. Editing, aka post processing, should support the story you’re telling—not distract from it.

You’re Not Practicing Intentionally

Getting better at photography takes more than snapping hundreds of photos and hoping for the best.

• Practice with purpose: Focus on one skill at a time—like backlighting, silhouettes, or capturing motion.
• Make mistakes: They’re the fastest way to learn. Look at your failures and figure out what happened.
• Shoot daily (if you can): Having a camera on hand—whether a phone or DSLR—makes it easier to catch spontaneous moments.
• Review your photos: Don’t just post and forget. Take the time to study what worked—and what didn’t.

Photography is like learning an instrument. You can’t just read about it—you have to play it, mess up, and try again.

You’re Not Inspired

Every photographer hits a creative wall. The trick is knowing how to climb over it—or smash through it.

• Join a photography group or community: Online or local, sharing your work and getting feedback is incredibly helpful. It keeps you accountable and connected.
• Study others: Look at work by photographers you admire. Try to recreate a favorite image—not to copy, but to reverse-engineer and learn.
• Set creative challenges: Like shooting only in black and white, using just one lens for a week, or photographing a subject you normally ignore.

Sometimes inspiration comes when you limit yourself. Creativity thrives under constraints.

Creative Challenges to Try

The best photography tips for beginners are all about practice, practice, practice! So, try that with these creative challenges.

Try on these creative challenges:

• Try shooting a silhouette. This forces you to focus on shape and light instead of detail and color. It’s a great way to see the world differently.
• Shoot with a focal length you’re not used to. Limiting your gear makes you more creative. You’ll be forced to move your body and think differently.
• Go on a photo walk. Not only will this train your eye to look for small, interesting moments—it also teaches you to slow down and be intentional.
• Try playing with motion blur.
• Shoot in manual mode, this will help you learn your camera in a more intimate way so that you can try new things with your settings. You might make mistakes, but THAT, my friend,s is part of learning!

More Creative Photography Challenges for Beginners:

• Try Black and White, when you see things in black and white, it draws your eye differently and helps you see light, contrast, details, and more.
• Look at the work of a photographer you like and deconstruct what is working. Pay attention to light, composition, color, and focal length. Sometimes it’s easier to first critique someone else’s work and then take that same eye and turn it on your own.
• Play with light… shoot frontlit, backlit, and from both sides and see how it changes your images.
• Pick a composition technique and try to learn it… It might feel forced and unnatural at first, but that’s how it eventually becomes natural. 
• Pick a bad habit and try to break it! Identify some of your bad habits, like cutting off people’s feet or allowing distractions in the frame. Do your photos look boring because they’re always shot at a certain focal length or angle? Then try to break that

Bonus: Don’t Forget the Tech Side

Use a Tripod

Perfect for sharp landscapes, low-light scenes, or experimenting with long exposures. It also forces you to slow down and compose more thoughtfully. Pro tip, don’t buy the cheapest tripod, get something that is easy to use and will last a while.

My Tripod Recommendation Here

Know Your Histogram

It’s not just a nerdy graph. It helps you avoid overexposed skies or underexposed shadows. Learning to read it is like learning to read music—it unlocks a deeper level of control.

Backup Your Work

Nothing kills motivation like losing your favorite shots. Organize and back up your photos regularly. Use cloud storage, external drives, or both.

Final Thoughts: Boring Is Just the Beginning

These photography tips for beginners are just the beginning. Let’s go from meh, to magical!

The fact that you’re asking why your photos look boring means you’re ready to improve and learn how to use your camera properly —and that’s the most important step. Photography is a journey of observation, patience, and curiosity. The more you shoot, the more you’ll see—and the more you’ll understand what makes an interesting photo . The more you see, the more you’ll feel. And the more you feel, the more your photos will connect.

So keep shooting. Keep learning. And soon you’ll be capturing images that not only look beautiful, but feel meaningful.

Similar Content on the Blog

Looking for more photography tips? Check out these posts on Photography Basics:

• How to Shoot Candids
• Get Sharp Photos Every Time
• How to Shoot in Manual Mode
• Focal Length Explained
• Camera Settings Guide
• ND Filters
• 35mm and 50mm Lens Comparison

About the Authors

We’re the Bergreens, a photography team based in Evergreen, Colorado. On the blog, we share practical photography tips and gear reviews, especially for those just starting out with taking pictures .

Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help! If we link to a product we love, Amazon links and others are affiliate links, it’s a great way to support our ad-free blog.

The post Why Do My Photos Look Boring? (Photography Tips for Beginners) appeared first on .

You think you’ve captured the perfect moment—until you check the details and realize it’s just not tack-sharp. Frustrating, right?

Don’t worry—I have the ultimate solution. The Hasselblad H6D 100c… it’s only $33,000… oh and you’ll also need the 90mm portrait lens for another $4300. Then, unlock my exclusive, proprietary, AI-powered focus mode that guarantees razor-sharp shots every time. Coming soon.

Just kidding… but let’s actually fix your sharpness issues—without breaking the bank. 

How to Get Sharp Images

Nothing’s more frustrating than missing the mark on sharpness, especially when everything else in your photo is spot on. Today, we’re breaking down exactly how to get tack-sharp photos every time—no matter what camera or lens you’re using. 

I AM going to touch on gear, but that’s not always the problem.

I’m also going to talk about focus settings, camera settings, camera stability, post-production, and other practical tips for sharp images. I even have a whole section on getting sharp photos in low light

How Your Gear Impacts Sharp Photos

Let me be honest with you so that you can be honest with yourself… Gear is a factor when it comes to getting sharp images. Those blurry historical photos you have aren’t blurry because it makes them more nostalgic. They’re blurry by today’s standards because camera gear has gotten so much better.

For example, with old cameras, people were focusing manually and it was harder to achieve sharpness in fast-moving environments.

Just over 7 years ago I used to struggle with getting sharp photos and the biggest and easiest thing that I did was upgrade my camera gear. To determine if the gear is the problem, consider if you’re using a modern setup. Everything else I’m going to talk about in this article will still help you regardless of your gear but sometimes if you’re doing everything else right it’s about the gear.

Newer Cameras and Sharper Photos

In the last 5 years, autofocus with 2nd-3rd-generation mirrorless cameras has gotten really good. We used to shoot with the Canon 5D Mark II which is a great camera that takes great pictures. But it struggles to nail the focus in low light.

It had nine focus points and it would sometimes select the wrong thing to focus on. When the Canon R5 was released 12 years later in 2020 it had nearly 6000 focus points. So, from 2008 to 2020 it goes from 9 to 6000 points covering almost 100% of the frame. 

We switched to Sony in 2018 and suddenly I could track my subject and I could even track my subject’s eye specifically with 100x the number of focus points my previous camera had. Many of my sharpness issues went away. Now, as long as you’re buying a camera that’s at least 5-7 years old, whether it’s top of the line camera or a beginner camera, you’re likely going to have great autofocus.

Lens Quality

Next, when it comes to your lenses, it’s a quality factor. There are lenses that are known to be really bad (often cheap ones) and others that are known to be very good (often more expensive ones.) Occasionally, there are affordable lenses that have great sharpness. 

Later in this article, I’m going to share some tips on how to pick sharp lenses and use them correctly.

Len Calibration

We even had an ongoing problem one time where one of our lenses was calibrated incorrectly and nailing sharpness was impossible with that lens. I still have anxiety about this sometimes and will revert to my habit of double-checking that I nailed the sharpness before moving on to the next scene. However, sharpness is rarely if ever a problem for me anymore, so let’s move on to talk more about why and what you can do.

How Your Focus Settings Impact Sharpness

First things first—your focus needs to be precise. Autofocus is amazing, but it’s not foolproof.

You camera has focus area and focus modes.

For focus mode:

We use af-c (continuous autofocus) with back-button focus. This allows us to hold the focus on where we place our focus area by holding the back button. As we move our camera or adjust our framing it will continuously adjust to be focused on the focus area we chose. This allows us to control what we’re focusing on without any unexpected focus jumps to where we don’t want it. If you want more on how to use this continuous focus mode, let me know in the comments and I can always do a dedicated video on it.

For focus area:

We use Spot or Single-Point Autofocus – Letting your camera choose focus points can be a recipe for disaster. Select a single point and place it exactly where you want sharpness helps you control what area is in focus. You can set up your camera so you can move that focus area around. For example, if you know you want your subject on the left middle of the frame, you move your focus point there and then use backbutton focus on af-c.

For Portraits, Focus on the Eyes

If the eyes are sharp, the whole image feels sharp. Some cameras even have eye tracking that will find your subject’s eyes and lock on. Many cameras can be customized to set this function to a specific button. If you use eye-focus on af-c it will track the subject’s eyes as they move around in the scene and then when you’re ready to capture the moment, click, it’ll be sharp.

Manual Focus for Precision

In low light or macro shots, switching to manual focus and using focus peaking can be a game-changer. This is for stationary subjects and macro photography, precise focus work is best done on a tripod.

Fast Moving Subjects

For fast-moving subjects, you might consider pre-focusing on the location you want to capture your subject moving through the frame. Then, you can use high-speed drive and your subject will be sharp when they’re in that spot.

Camera Settings

Next up let’s talk about camera settings. The exposure triangle settings (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) play a part in mastering sharpness. I’ll talk about them briefly here but if this is something you need to understand better check out our other videos and articles on the topic.

Blog Posts

• How to Shoot in Manual Mode

• Wedding Settings Guide

YouTube Videos

• Light and Shadows in Photography

• Best ISO for Wedding Photography

• Best Aperture for Wedding Photography

• Best Shutter Speed for Wedding Photography

• Master Manual Mode

When it comes to Aperture here are some general rules of thumb:

Avoid the Extremes

Shooting wide open (like f/1.2 or f/1.4) can look dreamy but often results in a razor-thin, shallow depth of field. Using f/2.8, f/4, or f/5.6 usually gives sharper results. This is especially important for something like group shots where you want multiple people to be sharp. Most lenses have maximum sharpness somewhere between f4 and f8. You can look up your specific lens.

Landscape Shots? Go Narrower

If you want everything in focus, f/8 to f/11 is your sweet spot. Just don’t go too far—past f/16, diffraction kicks in and reduces sharpness.

Bokeh

If you want to use a low aperture because you’re looking for that extreme bokeh, you’ll want to ensure your subject is sharp by using eye autofocus as we talked about in the last section or some of the techniques we’ll talk about in the practical tips section.

Dealing with Common Focus Challenges

In this section, I’ll give you some quick tips for dealing with camera shake, blurry images, and image quality.

Blurry shots?

Your shutter speed is probably too slow. It’s either camera shake or motion blur of your subject.

For camera shake?

Follow the Reciprocal Rule – Your shutter speed should be at least 1/focal length to avoid motion blur. So, if you’re shooting with a 100mm lens, you need at least 1/100s shutter speed.

For Moving Subjects where you’re concerned about motion blur?

Start at 1/500s or even faster shutter speed to freeze action. The faster the action, the faster the shutter speed you need. Race cars require faster speed than someone walking around.

On that note don’t use silent shutter on fast-moving subjects. It will read it line by line and you’ll get a wonky look.

Shooting Handheld?

Play It Safe. If in doubt, bump up the shutter speed or adjust the ISO to compensate. If you need to shoot slower shutter speeds, use a tripod and a 2s timer. Some people are more comfortable than others shooting at slower shutter speeds, we’ll talk more about that in the camera stability section coming up.

Use the Lowest ISO Possible

Lastly, High ISO introduces noise, which can make an image look less sharp. Start at ISO 100 and only raise it when necessary. Know a comfortable ISO range for your camera as it varies.

Use Noise Reduction Wisely – Too much NR can make your image look soft.

Get the Best Out of Your Lens

Not all lenses are created equal, and even great ones have their quirks.

• Find Your Lens’s Sweet Spot – Most lenses are sharpest two stops down from wide open (so an f/2.8 lens might be sharpest around f/5.6).

• Avoid Cheap Filters – Low-quality UV filters can kill sharpness. If you don’t need it, take it off!

• Use High-Quality Glass – Prime lenses and professional zooms tend to be sharper than entry-level kit lenses.

• If you’re using a kit lens, this might be one of the reasons your photos aren’t sharp. Be sure to subscribe because I’ll dive deeper into getting the sharpest photos with your lenses later in this article.

Camera Stability

Even the best settings won’t give good light or help if your camera isn’t stable. Slower shutter speeds and low-light photography require more camera stability to ensure sharp photos and image quality.

• Handheld? Use Proper Technique – Brace your elbows in, hold your breath slightly, and press the shutter gently. With a nice camer,a you can get sharp images up to 1/5th of a second shooting handheld if you practice and are really good at it. Know your comfort and skill level for shooting at slower shutter speeds.

• Use a Tripod – This is a must for long exposures with slower shutter speeds. A 2-second timer also helps because you can press the shutter and then remove your hand and it will take the photo two seconds later. That will eliminate any possible shake from you pressing the shutter.

• Turn On Image Stabilization – If your lens or camera has stabilization, it can help counteract minor shakes.

Post Production – Shoot in RAW & Sharpen in Post

Even if you nail everything in-camera, a little post-processing can make your images pop. Shooting in RAW retains maximum detail and dynamic range so that you can sharpen in Lightroom or Photoshop. Use the Detail panel to add sharpening without overdoing it. Overdoing it can make it look bad. And remember, you don’t have to sharpen the whole image, you can focus on the important areas.

Practical Tips

Finally, let’s talk about some practical tips you can try to help sharpen your images.

1. I’ve already talked about Back Button Focus and while it takes some getting used to, I think this is a very effective to consistently get sharp images.

2. It’s always easier to focus on something with contrast. Taking a picture of a white wall can be hard so look for a picture frame or something to give your camera something to latch onto. The same goes for the blue sky, you might pick a cloud instead. This is especially important in low light conditions which will be the subject of the next section of this article.

3. For something tricky like astrophotography, I might manually focus and take a few test shots to make sure it’s perfect before setting up my long exposure.

4. Don’t be afraid to take multiple shots. If you know you’re shooting something tricky that has low contrast, you can adjust focus and shoot again taking a few shots so that statistically you’ll get one that nails it. I use this for something like a ring shot where it’s hard to tell the camera what it’s looking for. The other option is to use manual focus which can be slower.

How to Nail Focus in Low Light | Low Light Photography

Low-light photography is magical—but let’s be real, getting sharp focus in the dark can be a nightmare. Your autofocus hunts, your shots turn out blurry, and you end up missing the moment. Sound familiar? 

Want to nail focus in low light? Easy. Just get a $10,000 lens with night-vision technology, hire a team of lighting experts, and always shoot at noon. Problem solved. Or… you could stick around because I’ve got real tips to help you get tack-sharp shots—even in the darkest conditions.

In this section, I’m going to walk through tips that will help you improve your low-light photography and get sharp photos even when there is less than enough light for your camera sensor to see. We don’t always have an f1.8 lens to work with so we need to be able to get sharp photos with our camer body.

Use the Right Autofocus Mode

Autofocus can struggle in the dark, but the right settings make all the difference for low-light photography.

• Use Spot or Single-Point Autofocus – Letting your camera pick focus points in low light is a recipe for missed shots. Take control and choose a single AF point. Cameras will give you the choice of the size of the focus box, don’t choose the smallest one if you’re shooting in low light.

• Use back button focus so that you can lock focus once and avoid hunting from shot to shot if your shutter is also your focus button. Back button focus separates your shutter button and your focus button.

• Use AF-C (Continuous AF) for Moving Subjects – If your subject is moving, keep autofocus tracking on to maintain sharpness.

Find a Contrast Edge to Lock the Focus

Cameras rely on contrast to focus—if everything looks flat, they’ll struggle.

• Aim for Light & Dark Edges – Find where light meets shadow, like the edge of a subject’s face or clothing.

• Use a Bright Object – If there’s no contrast, use a light source (a streetlight, phone screen, or even a flashlight) to help the camera lock focus.

Use an external light to create contrast on your subject

Many cameras and flashes have AF Assist Beams, which project light to help autofocus. We prefer to use an external light, typically a headlamp, to temporarily illuminate your subject so that you can lock focus. Often we’ll use this for something like a star portrait where we’re also using a tripod and our subject is stationary making this method possible.

Switch to Manual Focus When Needed

If autofocus isn’t cutting it for your low light photography needs, manual focus is your friend.

• Use Focus Peaking (If Available) – Many mirrorless cameras highlight in-focus areas in red or white.

• Zoom In with Live View – Magnify your image on the LCD to fine-tune focus.

• Use a Distance Marker – Some lenses have a distance scale—pre-focus to an estimated range and fine-tune from there. Note that this distance marking is not always very accurate so you’ll have to double-check what it’s doing.

In general, with my newer camera and lenses, I find that autofocus works really well even in low light. Rarely do I have to switch to manual except perhaps in astrophotography. If you’re using an older system these tips will be more relevant.

Boost Your ISO & Use a Faster Lens

In low light photography, sometimes, your camera image sensor just needs more light to see better and focus faster.

• Increase ISO – A brighter preview makes it easier to focus, even if you adjust it back later. Mirrorless cameras automatically do this for you which is why they focus so well in low light.

• Use a Wide Aperture Lens – Lenses with f/1.8 or f/2.8 let in more light, helping your camera focus. I always use my low-aperture lenses in low-light conditions.

• Know your gear – Some lenses (especially cheap zooms) struggle in the dark—know your gear’s limits.

Prefocus & Anticipate the Shot

In unpredictable low-light photography situations, planning ahead makes a huge difference.

• Lock Focus in a Brighter Area – Focus where there’s more light, then recompose your shot. You need to make sure the distance from the camera to the subject doesn’t change. This is easiest with wider angle lenses where the depth of field isn’t as narrow at low apertures.

• Use Back-Button Focus – This lets you lock focus separately from the shutter, so you’re not refocusing every time you shoot.

• Shoot Multiple Frames – Take a few extra shots to increase your chances of getting a tack-sharp one.

Use a Tripod & Manual Focus for Landscapes

If you’re shooting low-light landscape photography, astrophotography, or night cityscapes, autofocus often won’t work at all. Low light photography sometimes requires you to use a tripod and manual mode.

• Use a Tripod – Stability lets you fine-tune manual focus without camera shake.

• Focus on Infinity (Carefully) – Some lenses have an infinity focus mark, but always fine-tune to get the sharpest result.

• Use Live View & Magnify – Zoom in on a star, streetlight, or distant object to nail focus.

• Take a test shot and double-check by zooming in on the back screen

The Sharpest Lenses You Can Buy (Are You Using Them Right?)

Ever feel like your lens isn’t giving you the sharpness you expected? Maybe you’ve got a top-tier prime or a pro-level zoom, but your shots still come out a little… soft. The problem isn’t always the lens—it’s how you’re using it.

Today, I’m breaking down exactly how to get the sharpest photos with any lens, whether you shoot with primes, zooms, budget glass, or pro gear. Let’s get into it!

Find Your Lens’s Sweet Spot

Not every aperture is created equal. If you’re having trouble with sharpness it’s important to know your lenses’ sharpest aperture range. Here are some tips for finding your lens sweet spot

• Avoid Shooting Wide Open – Most lenses are soft at their widest aperture (like f/1.4 or f/2.8). Stopping down one to two stops (to f/2.8 or f/4) usually makes a huge difference. 

• For Maximum Sharpness, Shoot at f/5.6 to f/8 – This is the sharpest range for most lenses, balancing depth of field and diffraction.

• Don’t Go Too Narrow – At f/16 or f/22, diffraction softens the image—great for depth of field, but not for sharpness.

Don’t take any of these tips as constraints. I often shoot my lenses wide open, especially in low-light photography, instead, these are just tips to try out if you’re struggling with sharpness specifically. Higher-end lenses will perform better at the extremes than budget lenses. So if you’re using a kit lens learning its sharpest aperture range is most important.

Master Focus for Each Lens Type

Your focus technique changes depending on the lens you’re using.

• For Prime Lenses – Use single-point AF and nail focus on your subject’s eyes (for portraits) or the most detailed part of your scene.

• For Zoom Lenses – Be aware that some zooms are sharper at certain focal lengths—test your lens to find its best range.

• For Wide-Angle Lenses – These have a deep depth of field, but they can still misfocus. Use manual focus and Live View when necessary.

• For Telephoto Lenses – Longer focal lengths magnify any mistake. Use fast shutter speeds, tripod support, and image stabilization to compensate.

Use the Right Shutter Speed for Sharpness

Your shutter speed plays a huge role in image clarity.

• Follow the Reciprocal Rule – Keep your shutter speed at least 1/focal length to avoid motion blur. A 200mm lens needs 1/200s or faster.

• For Handheld Shooting, Play It Safe – Go even faster—1/250s or 1/500s—if you’re shooting without stabilization.

• For Moving Subjects – Start at 1/1000s or faster for action shots and sports.

Best Lenses for Sharpness (Gear Recommendations)

Some lenses are just naturally sharper than others. Here are my top recommendations if you want the sharpest images possible without spending a fortune:

Best Sharp Prime Lenses (Sony & Canon)

Best Sharp Zoom Lenses

Budget Lenses with Good Sharpness

There aren’t currently as many Canon RF mount budget zoom lenses which is one of the reasons I choose to go with Sony but hopefully Canon will continue to add some over time.

Stabilize Your Camera for Maximum Detail

Even the best lens will struggle if you’re not keeping your camera steady.

• Use a Tripod for Long Exposures – Essential for landscapes, astro, and studio shots.

• Turn Off Image Stabilization When Using a Tripod – Some stabilization systems can actually introduce blur when mounted.

• Use Proper Handheld Technique – Brace your elbows in, press the shutter gently, and breathe out slowly when taking the shot.

Sharpen Smartly in Post-Processing

Even if you get everything right in-camera, a little sharpening in post makes a big difference.

• Shoot in RAW – JPEGs lose fine detail due to compression.

• Use Smart Sharpening in Lightroom – Increase sharpness, but don’t overdo it or you’ll introduce noise.

• Use Masking to Sharpen Selectively – Avoid sharpening the whole image—just the subject.

Test Your Lens for Sharpness Issues

Think your lens might be soft? Here’s how to check:

• Use a Test Chart – Print a focus chart and shoot at different apertures to see your lens’s sharpest setting.

• Check for Decentering – Shoot a flat object straight on and compare sharpness across the frame—soft corners might indicate a misaligned lens element.

Conclusion

Low-light photography focusing doesn’t have to be a struggle. With the right autofocus settings, a bit of manual control, and some smart tricks, you can get sharp shots every time—even in the darkest conditions. Which of these low-light photography tips will you try first?

Sharp photos don’t happen by accident—it’s all about knowing where to focus, how to set up your camera, and how to process your images for the best results. Getting sharp photos isn’t about having the most expensive lens—it’s about using your gear the right way. Use these tips for low-light photography and more to get sharper photos, and let me know how it goes.

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Looking for more tools to understand your camera? We have a lot of great content on lenses such as how to shoot with the 85mm focal length or this 35mm to 50mm comparison. Find everything you need to know about drone photography, a comparison of mirrorless and DSLRs, our best gear for night photography, or our favorite peak design backpacks.

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• What is the Rule of Thirds

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• Photography Tips for Mountain Landscapes

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• Wedding Album Review

• Wedding Settings Guide

• Wedding Photography Tips for Beginners

• Minimalist Wedding Photography Gear

• Tips for Outdoor Wedding Photographers

Interested in more content like this? What else do you want to hear about?

Camera tips, posing tips, or mindset ideas? Let us know.

About the Authors

We’re the Bergreens, a photography team based in Evergreen Colorado. On the blog, we share our favorite gear tips and photography advice.

Download our free guide on how to build a creative business and a life you love or our free money and gear guide for photographers. Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help! If we link to a product we love, Amazon links are affiliate links.

In the meantime, remember to…

The post How to Get Sharp Images Every Time appeared first on .

This guide isn’t going to get too in-depth technical, instead, I’m more concerned about teaching you what will actually help you in your photography. Understanding camera settings is the key to mastering your photography beyond framing and composition. By the end of this article, I hope you are both empowered and inspired to begin shooting in manual mode.

We’ll talk about how to get more light into the camera’s sensor first, when you might use slow shutter speeds for motion blur, and why you don’t need to be afraid of High Iso. First, we’ll walk through why to use manual mode and then the key camera settings you need to understand. Finally, I’ll give you tips for shooting in manual mode as well as 10 reasons why manual mode is better than auto mode.

Why Use Manual Mode

First things first—why manual mode? Well, when you shoot in auto mode, (including aperture or shutter speed priority) your camera decides everything for you—aperture, shutter speed, ISO. But by using manual mode, you take complete control of these key settings, giving you the freedom to capture your images exactly how you want them. Manual mode is the key to creating images with better exposure, sharper focus, and more creative control.

But, if you’re just starting out, it can feel a little intimidating. Don’t worry—we’re going to break it down step by step, so you’ll feel comfortable and confident using manual mode! Auto mode isn’t all bad, and it does have a purpose. It’s like auto-tuning on karaoke or using a box of cake mix instead of a made-from-scratch recipe.

There is a time and a place for auto mode but understanding manual mode and the camera settings associated with it will make you a better photographer. So, don’t be scared, it’s time to dial in your manual settings and shed more light (pun intended) on your photography skills.

Key Camera Settings to Know For Shooting in Manual Mode

Let’s talk about the manual settings you need to know in order to shoot in manual mode. To start, you need to understand the three core settings in manual mode: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Let’s dial in your basic understanding of manual settings.

1. Aperture (f-stop)

The size of the aperture (wide or narrow) determines how much light the lens lets in. A wide aperture lets in more light than a narrow aperture.

Aperture is measured by the f-stop setting… f/2.8 lots of light… f/22 very little light.      

Aperture also determines the depth of field in your photos—meaning how much of the photo is in focus.

• Wide apertures (like f/2.8) will give you a shallow depth of field—great for portraits where you want a blurred background (bokeh).

• Narrow apertures (like f/8 or f/16) keep more of the image in focus, which is ideal for landscapes.

Remember: a lower f-stop number means a wider aperture, and a higher f-stop number means a narrower aperture.

Some photographers like using aperture priority mode because they can set their aperture to a wide aperture, letting in as much light as possible for any given lens. Then they only have to worry about the two other settings. But you can do essentially the same thing in manual mode by choosing a wide aperture to start first. More on that later

2. Shutter Speed

Shutter speed controls how long your camera’s shutter stays open to let in light. The longer the shutter stays open, the more time light has to enter. Shutter speed also impacts motion in your photos. Slow shutter speeds can capture motion blur whereas a fast shutter speed freezes motion.

• Fast shutter speeds (like 1/1000 or 1/500) freeze motion, which is great for action shots or sports.

• Slow shutter speeds (like 1/60 or 1/30) allow motion to blur, which works well for creative effects like flowing water or light trails.

Pro tip: To avoid camera shake when shooting handheld, use a shutter speed that’s at least 1/ focal length. So, if you’re shooting at 50mm, your shutter speed should be at least 1/50 to keep things sharp. 

3. ISO

ISO controls your camera’s sensitivity to light. Higher ISO values (like ISO 800, ISO 1600) are great for low-light situations, but the downside is they can introduce more noise or grain into your photos.

• In bright light, use a low ISO (like ISO 100 or ISO 200).

• In low light, you can bump up the ISO to 800 or higher to help you get a properly exposed photo.

The key is to use the lowest ISO possible without underexposing your final image, as this helps keep your photos cleaner with less noise. You’ll also get more dynamic range which is the range of brightness your camera can capture.

Some modern cameras are great at higher ISOs, it’s good to research your camera and know what your max ISO tolerance. You don’t need to be afraid of high ISO anymore because modern cameras are incredible in low light. Manual mode allows you to decide on the tolerance of what high iso you’re willing to use.

Balancing Camera Settings for Shooting in manual mode

Here’s the tricky bit confusing part—getting the right exposure requires balancing these three settings: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The goal is to let in the right amount of light, so your photo is neither too bright nor too dark.

If you want a well-exposed photo, it’s all about balancing aperture, ISO, and shutter speed.

Here’s how to get more light from each:

• Wide aperture = more light in, and shallower depth of field.

• Slower shutter speed = more time for light to hit the sensor but can capture motion blur

• Higher ISO = more sensitivity to light, but less crisp photos.

So while you want sufficient light, you would prefer to shoot at as LOW of an ISO as possible.

1. And for shutter speed, you want something fast enough to freeze the motion of your subject while still letting in enough light. (unless you want motion blur)

And for aperture, you want a low number to let in light but a deth a field that allows your subject to be sharp.

Understanding the Exposure Triangle

Now, how do we figure out how to balance all three manual mode camera settings? The key to success in manual mode is the exposure triangle. Here’s more detail how it works:

• If your photo is too bright, you can lower the ISO, increase the shutter speed, or narrow the aperture.

• If it’s too dark, you can raise the ISO, slow down the shutter speed, or open up the aperture.

It’s all about experimenting and finding the right combination for each scene. And remember, every photo is different, so don’t be afraid to adjust as you go!

You want a low ISO to avoid camera grain but you want to make sure your shutter speed is fast enough to freeze motion and your aperture is creating the proper depth of field for your image. If you understand the limitations of each of these camera settings, you’ll be able to decide when to change which setting.

Practical Tips for Shooting in Manual Mode

Next, let’s talk through a few practical tips to help you while you’re shooting in manual mode. These tips will give you some starting points for deciding your camera settings. These are shortcuts for manual shooting that will help you when you’re learning manual camera mode.

Practice in different lighting conditions

Start practicing in bright light, then challenge yourself in low light. This will help you understand how each setting impacts your photo.

Start Simple: Choose one setting at a time

Choose one setting to play with and learn the impact changing that setting has on your photo.

Use the Digital Viewfinder (or histogram or test shots)

If you’re shooting mirrorless, the digital viewfinder will give you immediate feedback on if your exposure is right. When you rotate your setting dials you’ll see an immediate effect on the brightness of your scene. Otherwise, on a DSLR you can use the histogram or take test shots to see if your exposure is balanced.

Start with a Low f-number (But not too low)

Generally choosing the lowest aperture your lens allows will help you keep your shutter speed fast and your ISO low. However, if you have a 1.8 lens you might not want every picture at 1.8 especially if you have multiple subjects because the depth of field is too shallow. For group portraits, people will not be in focus.

Shoot in Raw

Make sure you’re shooting in RAW because this will give you more editing leeway if you are under or over-exposed. More room for error allows you to fix and learn in post-production.

Set your ISO for the Darkest Area

If you’re working in variable lighting conditions, it can help to set your ISO for the darker area and then focus on adjusting your shutter speed. Otherwise, you might end up with too slow of a shutter speed.

10 Reasons for Shooting in Manual Mode

Manuel mode means no more over or under exposing … consistent exposure which is great for post-production efforts too.

Use Manual Mode for Rapidly Changing Lighting Conditions

Rapidly changing lighting conditions will throw off your camera’s light meter and your exposures can vary wildly. Instead, when you have control in manual mode you can make sure everything is properly exposed as you move through various lighting conditions.

Use Manual Mode for Mixed Lighting Conditions

In mixed lighting conditions such as if your subject is in the shade but your background is sunny, you may want to expose your subject or create a silhouette… manual mode allows you to choose rather than the camera deciding for you which generally means somewhere in the middle failing at both.

Use Manual Mode for Silhouettes

Silhouettes are next. The camera won’t ever be creative enough to intentionally take a silhouette since the camera thinks that’s just an under-exposed shot.

Manual Mode for Motion Blur

Motion blur is often undesirable… but there are ways to intentionally create motion blur and use it to great effect. That’s only something you can do if you understand and intentionally choose a low shutter speed. This is fun for capturing motion or effects like waterfalls.

Manual Mode for Starburst Effect

Starburst are also fun to play with. At a high aperture, like f/16, you can create a cool starburst effect with the sun.

Basically, it’s important to understand the exposure triangle so you can use it creatively and intentionally in all the ways we’re talking about.

Understand Manual Mode for Off-Camera Flash

Using off-camera flash also is easier if you can shoot manually, another creative photography technique

Shooting and Manual Mode to Prevent Slot Shutter Speed from Silent Shutter

With a silent shutter on the new cameras, you can drop your shutter too slowly without realizing it and end up with blurry pictures. Knowing all your camera settings helps prevent this.

Low Light Performance Decision Making

And lastly, with low light performance… you get to choose your personal tolerance between iso grain or shutter speed motion blur. You might feel confident shooting your camera at 1/20th of a second in order to keep your ISO low OR you might prefer to push your ISO higher to capture a fast-moving subject. This might vary from situation to situation, full control of manual mode for the win.

Summary of Shooting in manual mode

Now that you know how to shoot in manual mode, the next step is to get out there and practice! Try shooting in different conditions and play around with your aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. If possible, set each one to a different dial on your camera and memorize how to change it. You’ll start to get a feel for how it all comes together and how to create your perfect exposure every time.

Similar Content on the Blog

Looking for more tools to understand your camera? We have a lot of great content on lenses such as how to shoot with the 85mm focal length or this 35mm to 50mm comparison. Fine everything you need to know about drone photography, a comparison of mirrorless and DSLRs, our best gear for night photography, or our favorite peak design backpacks.

More Photography Basics

• What is the Rule of Thirds

• ND Filter Beginners Guide

Tips for Travel Photographers

• Photography Tips for Mountain Landscapes

• Adventure Photographer Gear

• Travel Photography Gear

Tips for wedding Photographers:

• Wedding Album Review

• Wedding Settings Guide

• Wedding Photography Tips for Beginners

• Minimalist Wedding Photography Gear

• Tips for Outdoor Wedding Photographers

Interested in more content like this? What else do you want to hear about?

Camera tips, posing tips, or mindset ideas? Let us know.

About the Authors

We’re the Bergreens, a photography team based in Evergreen Colorado. On the blog, we share our favorite gear tips and photography advice.

Download our free guide on how to build a creative business and a life you love or our free money and gear guide for photographers. Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help! If we link to a product we love, Amazon links are affiliate links.

In the meantime, remember to…

The post How to Shoot in Manual Mode: Unlock Your Camera’s Full Potential appeared first on .

Understanding Focal Length

Focal length is a fundamental concept in photography that determines how much of a scene your lens can capture. Measured in millimeters, focal length affects both the angle of view and the depth of field.

Here’s how it works in simple terms. If you want more detail, keep reading as we’ll get into the nitty gritty but I want to try to help you actually understand if in a way that helps you.

Wide-angle lenses (16-35mm):

Capture more of the scene with a broad field of view, making them ideal for landscapes and architecture.

Standard lenses (35mm, 50mm):

Closely mimic how the human eye sees, offering a natural perspective perfect for portraits and general photography.

Telephoto lenses (85mm-200mm+):

Zoom in on distant subjects, compressing the background and foreground for stunning wildlife or sports shots.

The right range of focal lengths and length will help you tell your story by controlling the amount of the scene included, how the subject interacts with the background, and the overall composition.

Choosing the Right Focal Length for Your Photography Style

To make the best lens choice, consider your photography style, the type of scenes you capture, and the specific results you’re aiming for. Let’s dive into different genres and the lenses best suited for each.

Landscape Photography

For landscapes, wide-angle lenses like 16-35mm or 24mm are essential. These lenses allow you to capture sweeping vistas, dramatic skies, and grand perspectives.

My Favorites for Sony include:

• Sony 16-35mm f/4 GM: Buy on Amazon

• Samyang 24mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

My favorites for Canon include:

• Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 : Buy on Amazon

• Canon RF 16mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon

Pro Tip: Landscape photographers often prioritize image quality over aperture size. Lenses with f/4 apertures are more affordable and lightweight than their f/2.8 counterparts, making them great for daytime shoots.

Alternative Options: A telephoto lens, such as a 100-400mm, can add variety by isolating distant features in the landscape.

Portrait Photography

Portraits demand lenses that flatter your subject and create beautiful background separation:

85mm: The gold standard for headshots and close-ups. It offers a natural compression that enhances facial features and creamy bokeh for background separation.

My favorites for Sony include:

• Sony 85mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

• Samyang 85mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II: Buy on Amazon

My favorites for Canon include:

• Canon RF 85mm f/2: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 85mm f/1.2: Buy on Amazon

50mm: Ideal for full-body portraits, environmental shots, and general versatility.

My favorites for Sony include:

• Sony 50mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 55mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

My favorites for Canon include:

• Canon 50mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon
• Canon 50mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

35mm: Best for environmental portraits where the subject’s surroundings play a significant role in the story.

My favorites for Sony include:

• Sony 35mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon
• Sony 35mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

My favorites for Canon include:

• Canon RF 35mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 35mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

Prime lenses with low apertures (e.g., f/1.8 or f/1.4) are the go-to choice for portraits, offering better bokeh and sharper results than zooms.

Wedding and Event Photography

Wedding and event photographers need flexibility to capture a variety of moments in dynamic environments.

24-70mm Zoom: A versatile workhorse, standard lens ideal for wide angle, venue shots, and tighter portraits without switching lenses.

My favorites include:

• Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II: Buy on Amazon

• Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II: Buy on Amazon

Prime Lens Setup: A two-camera system with a 35mm and 85mm lens offers exceptional image quality and creative control.

My favorites for Sony include:

• Sony 85mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

• Samyang 85mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II: Buy on Amazon

• Rokinon 35mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 35mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 35mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

• Samyang 35mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

My favorites for Canon include:

• Canon RF 35mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 35mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 85mm f/2: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 85mm f/1.2: Buy on Amazon

Low-Light Performance: Weddings often require shooting in dimly lit venues, making low-aperture zooms or primes essential for sharp, well-exposed images.

Wildlife Photography

Capturing wildlife often means shooting from a distance. For this reason, telephoto lenses are a must:

70-200mm: A popular option for versatility.

• Sony 70-200mm f/4 G: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 70-200mm f/4 G II: Buy on Amazon

100-400mm or 150-600mm: Ideal for serious wildlife photographers who need to isolate distant subjects.

• Sony FE 100-400: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 100-400: Buy on Amazon
• Sigma 100-400 for Sony: Buy on Amazon

Sigma 60-600mm: Offers excellent image quality and a 10x optical zoom range for maximum versatility.

• Sigma 60-600 for Sony E-mount: Buy on Amazon
• Sigma 60-600 for Canon EF mount: Buy on Amazon

Image stabilization is especially important for longer focal lengths to counteract motion blur.

Travel and Street Photography

When traveling or shooting street photography, compact cameras and versatile lenses are key:

35mm: Wide enough to capture scenes but not so wide that it distorts details, perfect for storytelling.

• Rokinon 35mm f/1.8 for Sony: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 35mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 35mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

• Samyang 35mm f/1.4 for Sony: Buy on Amazon

• Canon RF 35mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 35mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

50mm: Excellent for capturing candid moments with a more intimate feel.

• Sony 50mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 55mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

• Canon 50mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon
• Canon 50mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

Zoom Lenses: A 24-70mm or 16-35mm zoom lens that provides flexibility without adding too much bulk.

• Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II: Buy on Amazon

• Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II: Buy on Amazon

• Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon

Astrophotography

For capturing the night sky, you need a lens that gathers as much light as possible:

• 14mm to 24mm Wide-Angle Lenses: Great for expansive skies and Milky Way shots.

• Fast Apertures (f/2.8 or Faster): Crucial for sharp, bright photos in low light.

My recommendations are:

• Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM: Buy on Amazon
• Canon 15-35mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon
• Sigma 14mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

Product, Food, and Macro Photography

Close-up photography demands precision and detail:

Macro Lenses (50mm to 90mm): Designed for capturing intricate textures and details.

My suggestions:

• Sony FE 90mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 85mm f/2: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 100mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon

Alternative Option: In a pinch, 50mm or 85mm prime lens can work for general close-up shots but won’t offer true macro capabilities.

Beginners or Versatile Shooters

If you’re starting out or want a one camera lens, that does it all:

50mm f/1.8 (Nifty Fifty): Affordable, lightweight, and versatile, it’s a great entry point.

• Sony 50mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

• Sony 55mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon

• Canon 50mm f/1.8: Buy on Amazon
• Canon 50mm f/1.4: Buy on Amazon

24-70mm Zoom: A do-it-all lens for multiple genres.

• Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II: Buy on Amazon

• Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II: Buy on Amazon

• Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon
• Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon

Wide-Angle Zoom (16-35mm): Fun for experimenting with landscapes and group shots.

• Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM: Buy on Amazon

• Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 : Buy on Amazon

• Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8: Buy on Amazon

Comparing Popular Focal Lengths

Each focal length serves a unique purpose. Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide:

• 24mm: Excellent for wide scenes but prone to distortion in portraits.

• 50mm: A versatile option for a variety of genres, though not ideal for tight spaces or distant subjects.

• 85mm: Perfect for portraits with flattering compression and background blur.

• 100mm+: Great for isolating distant subjects, like wildlife or sports.

Aperture and Distance: Key Considerations

While focal length determines your perspective and field of view, aperture plays a crucial role in controlling light and a shallow depth of field:

• Wide Apertures (f/1.4, f/1.8): Ideal for low-light conditions and achieving creamy bokeh.

• Narrower Apertures (f/4, f/5.6): Suitable for landscapes and scenarios where sharpness across the frame is essential.

Summary: Finding Your Perfect Lens

The right lens depends on your photography style, goals, and budget. Consider these recommendations:

• Wide Scenes: 16-35mm or 24mm.

• Portraits: 50mm or 85mm.

• Versatility: 24-70mm zoom.

Take the time to identify your preferred genres and shooting scenarios. You can also analyze your existing photo catalog—filter by focal length to see which one you naturally gravitate toward.

By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each focal length, you’ll make more informed choices, avoid wasting money, and elevate your photography. Let us know in the comments which lens is your favorite and why—we’d love to hear from you!

Camera Lens Basics

What is a Camera Lens?

A camera lens is a crucial component of a camera that focuses light onto the image sensor to capture images. Camera lenses come in various types, including prime lenses, zoom lenses, ultra wide angle front-angle lenses, telephoto lenses, and macro lenses.

Focal Length Explained

What is Focal Length?

Focal length is the distance between the camera’s image sensor and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused at infinity. Focal length is measured in millimeters (mm) and determines the angle of view and magnification of the image.Different focal lengths are suitable for various types of photography, such as landscape photography, portrait, and wildlife photography.

Lens Types

Prime Lenses

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length and are known for their high image quality and wide aperture. These prime lenses are ideal for portrait photography, street photography, and low-light photography. Examples of prime lenses include 50mm, 85mm, and 135mm lenses.

Zoom Lenses

Zoom lenses have a variable focal length and offer flexibility and convenience. ThesezZoom lenses are suitable for various types of photography, including landscape, wildlife, and sports photography. Examples of zoom lenses include 24-70mm, 70-200mm, and 100-400mm lenses.

Telephoto Lens

Telephoto lenses have a long focal length (typically above 70mm) and are used to capture distant subjects. That’s why telephoto lenses are ideal for wildlife, sports, and portrait photography. Telephoto lenses can compress the perspective, making distant objects to appear closer together.

Aperture and Lens Speed

Understanding Aperture

Aperture is the measure of how much light enters the camera through the lens. Aperture is represented by the f-number (e.g., f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6). A lower f-number indicates a larger aperture, which allows more light to enter the camera.

Sensor Size and Compatibility

Camera sensors come in different sizes, including full-frame, APS-C, and Micro Four Thirds. Lens compatibility depends on the camera body and sensor size. It’s essential to choose a lens that is compatible with your camera body and sensor size.

How to Choose the Right Lens

Consider Your Photography Style

Consider the type of photography you want to do (e.g., landscape, portrait, wildlife). Think about the camera body and sensor size you have. Research different lenses and their characteristics.

Check Lens Features

Check the lens’s focal length, aperture, and image stabilization. Consider the lens’s weight, size, and build quality. Read reviews and compare different lenses.

Additional Considerations

Image Stabilization

Image stabilization helps reduce camera shake and blur. Look for lenses with optical image stabilization (OIS) or electronic image stabilization (EIS).

Lens Compression

Lens compression occurs when a telephoto lens makes objects appear closer together. Consider a lens with a long focal length (e.g., 200mm, 300mm) for compression effects.

Conclusion

Choosing the right camera lens depends on various factors, including your photography style, camera body, and sensor size. Understand the characteristics of different lenses, including focal length, aperture, and image stabilization. Research and compare different lenses to find the best one for your needs.

Similar Content on the Blog

Looking for longer focal lengths for your full frame cameras. We have content on some of the ideal full focal length range and lengths for every scenario. Learn everything you need to know about the 85mm focal length. And check out this 35mm to 50mm comparison.

Everything you need to know about drone photography, a comparison of mirrorless and DSLRs, our best gear for night photography, or our favorite peak design backpacks.

• Photography Tips for Mountain Landscapes

• Tips for Outdoor Wedding Photographers

• Photography Portfolio Creation

• Travel Photography Gear

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• Minimalist Wedding Photography Gear

• What is the Rule of Thirds

• Adventure Photographer Gear

• ND Filter Beginners Guide

• Wedding Album Review

Interested in more content like this? What else do you want to hear about?

Camera tips, posing tips, or mindset ideas? Let us know.

About the Authors

We’re the Bergreens, a photography team based in Evergreen Colorado. On the blog, we share my favorite gear tips. You can find everything you need to know about drone photography including drone accessories as well as more gear guides such as this ND filter guide.

Be sure to check out how to shoot with the 70-200mm lens or this 35mm to 50mm comparison. Download our free guide on how to build a creative business and a life you love. If we link to a product we love, Amazon links are affiliate links.

Download our free guide on how to build a creative business and a life you love or our free money and gear guide for photographers. Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help! If we link to a product we love, Amazon links are affiliate links.

In the meantime, remember to…

The post Focal Length Explained: What Lens is Right for You? appeared first on .

In this article, I discuss:

• why bokeh is desirable

• how to achieve bokeh

• some of my favorite bokeh techniques.

I’ll get a little technical but I’ll focus more on the practical application of the depth-of-field techniques that create bokeh effects.

Why bokeh in Photography is desirable:

Bokeh spelled B O K E H comes from a Japanese word that means blur, haze, or blur quality.

One of the main reasons we love bokeh is that it helps your subject pop and look more crisp relative to the background. You see it a lot in macro photography like close-ups of birds, flowers, or other details in nature because of how close you are to your subject. The shallow depth of field created by macro lenses helps a tiny flower pop crisply from the blurred background too.

It’s also super popular for portraits whether that’s newborns or headshots, it helps your subject be the focus of the image. Our eyes are drawn to the sharpest part of the image so a headshot focused on someone’s eyes helps us connect with them.

Many times we also use bokeh to blur an undesirable background so that the main subject is sharp but the clutter in the background disappears.

If you look at some images with beautiful bokeh you’ll see how it can be buttery or silky, different people have different ways to describe aesthetic quality of bokeh that they appreciate.

We’ll talk about undesirable bokeh in the next section after we understand it a little better.

When iPhone introduced portrait mode, the bokeh-like effect made it possible to take iPhone images with a shallow depth of field. It’s digitally created and therefore not as pleasing, in my opinion, but a portrait in portrait mode is more flattering than just the standard iPhone lens.

Lightroom also has a new feature that digitally creates bokeh in post-production.

How to Achieve Bokeh:

There’s going to be some jargon in here so I’ll try to explain everything without overexplaining what we’re talking about.  Here are the bokeh factors I’m going to talk about.

1. Sensor size

2. Aperture

3. Distance

4. Lens quality

5. Focal length

6. Artificial bokeh

1. Sensor Size and its Part in Background Blur

The first factor in creating bokeh will be your sensor size. The larger the sensor, the shallower the depth of field which creates more bokeh blur because more of the scene is outside of the focus range.

Most modern cameras are going to be either APS-C which is 23x15mm or full frame which is 36x24mm. The smaller sensors might be less expensive but will limit your ability to achieve bokeh. One way to combat this is to talk about other factors such as distance.

2. Adjust Distance for Background Blur

One way to achieve create good bokeh is to decrease the distance between you and your subject while increasing the distance between your subject and the background. Get close to your subject.

If you get close to a subject but achieve a large distance between your subject and the background, you can achieve bokeh with smaller sensors and smaller apertures which are the larger f-stop numbers. We’ll talk about the aperture settings next but this is great if you don’t have a full-frame camera with a wide maximum aperture lens but still want bokeh. You can achieve it with an f4 lens instead of an f2 lens if you consider the distancing. You can even achieve it on the small sensor of your phone camera.

This works because of the depth of field. A shallow depth of field will result in more bokeh because there is less in focus than in a wide depth of field which will have deep focus and more of the image sharp. Therefore, the closer you are to your subject, the further away the background is making it more likely to be outside of the depth of field of your set-up which will cause it to be out of focus… achieving that bokeh blur.

3. Wide Aperture for Beautiful Bokeh

Next, if you want to achieve good bokeh, you generally need what we call a “fast lens” A fast lens is a lens that has a wide maximum aperture, which is the smallest f-number for the lens.

A wide maximum aperture is something like f/2.8 or even lower f-stop numbers like f/1.8 or f/1.4. The lower the f-stop number the wider the aperture.

Often the best lenses for bokeh are fast prime lenses because prime lenses with wide maximum apertures are generally more common and affordable than fast zoom lenses. A wide aperture is related to a shallow depth of field. And as we’ve already learned, with a shallow depth of field, everything outside of the focal plane in that focus range will be blurry.

4. Camera Lens Quality (The Good and Bad Bokeh)

Now, the lens choice can have an impact on the pleasing quality of the bokeh. 

The lens determines how the resulting bokeh looks in terms of shape and size as the shape of the the aperture blades will dictate the shape of the bokeh. The more blades the aperture has the more round and smooth the bokeh orbs will look because the aperture shape is more round and smooth.

Some lens designs blur an image in a less pleasing way because it’s distracting so you might hear someone talk about “bad bokeh.” Instead of circular orbs of light, they’ll be pentagonal or oblong or irregular. You’ll notice it more in city lights or in the highlights of high-contrast images because the orbs are inconsistent or fake-looking. Often it will be worse toward the edges of the images.

Good versus bad bokeh feels a little subjective to me so it is a little difficult to quantify but I’m sure there are people out there who are bokeh conosiers who would also balk at my choice of wine. I know that when Marc reviews lenses he always talks about image quality so maybe the lenses he’s chosen for our kit is why I don’t really know that much about “bad bokeh.” I think it is also probably more of an issue with vintage lenses. That’s not really the purpose of this article but let me know in the comments if you want Marc to get more technical on lens design in a future article or video.

But to ease your mind, for most modern lenses, the bokeh effect looks great.

5. Camera Lens Focal length and Bokeh

The longer the focal length, the more pronounced the bokeh will be because long focal lengths create a shallower depth of field. Wide lens, wide depth of field. Long lens, shallow depth of field. 

So if you use a long lens and stand close to your subject with a large distance from your subject to the background, the bokeh will be most pronounced. Check out Marc’s video on the Samyang 135mm for more about why this particular lens focal length is the bokeh king.

Despite the fact that I don’t have much more to say about this, this is one of the more important factors to bokeh which is why people love shooting portrait photography with an 85mm prime lens.

6. Artificial bokeh in Photography

I mentioned briefly portrait mode on our phone cameras. I think its worth mentioning since AI is slowly taking over our work. With iPhones or other phone cameras with super small sensors, they’re using a depth map of the images to determine what to blur for bokeh. Lidar, or light detection uses lasers to map the depth.

On the Lightroom lens blur tool, Lightroom runs an analysis and selects the subject for you. Then you can apply bokeh to the background. It’s pretty crazy, you can change the bokeh shape from modern to bubble to vintage to ring or cat-eye. You can also change the focus range and apply your bokeh based on Lightroom’s depth map.

This is pretty cool if you shot something with a 50mm lens but wish you had your 85mm… you can artificially achieve bokeh. It also seems awesome for graphic designers who want to blur more of an image for overlaying text. It’s definitely worth exploring the implications of this so again, let me know if you want a video on the Lightroom Lens Blur Tool.

Summary of the 5 Factors Contributing to the Bokeh Effect

Let’s do a Quick review. We talked about

1. Sensor size – get a big sensor

2. Aperture – use a fast lens f1.4

3. Distance – get close to your subject so the background is far

4. Lens quality – a higher quality lens will equal more pleasing bokeh

5. Focal length – longer focal lengths will create more bokeh

6. Artificial bokeh – if all else fails, use technology…

When I’m not making a video about bokeh I’ll often use the terms shallow depth of field and bokeh interchangeably even though they’re not technically the same thing or I’ll even say something like soft focus. Or I’ll talk about my fast lens or my low aperture lens. I tend to save the word wide for describing my focal length and not my aperture… the lens is fast or low aperture or low f-stop. So you might hear people talk about things in different ways but what’s important is that you can achieve what you want when you want it. Don’t let the jargon stop you from creativity.

Now let’s talk about Bokeh Effect Techniques

We talked about how we use bokeh in photography to help your subject pop and look more crisp and we talked about using bokeh to blur an undesirable background.

Let me share some of my other favorite uses of bokeh.

One of my favorite bokeh techniques might be a little cliche but I still love it and that’s photographing twinkle lights, market lights, or even Christmas lights.

I also love a good foreground blur that I can achieve when shooting through flowers or trees. This allows me to create more depth or framing to an image. I love this for landscape portraits or environmental portraits where I’m using nature to compose my image and flatter my subject.

For weddings, bokeh is really nice in the getting ready room where the room is cluttered and my goal is to make a bride feel beautiful. Brides spend hours getting ready and perfected so a super shallow depth of field on lips or eyelashes can be really nice. Same for wedding rings or other details that you want to highlight in detail while showing some blurry context.

Beyond Beautiful Bokeh

One last note beyond bokeh in photography is that sometimes we shoot everything with a low aperture because that’s easy from an exposure settings perspective. Don’t go so crazy with bokeh and get so attached that you forget sometimes it’s nice to have deep focus. That way the mountains behind your subject can be sharp and dramatic. Just because you bought that f1.2 lens doesn’t mean you have to shoot it on f1.2 forever.

Best Lenses for Bokeh

Below are 85mm lenses for Sony that are worth looking at for bokeh. Read more about the 85mm focal length on the blog.

Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM

Sony 85mm f/1.8

Samyang 85mm f/1.4

You might also like the bokeh king or the bokeh master:

Samyang 135mm f/1.8

Summary of Bokeh in Photography

Hope this post helps and maybe even inspires you to head out and shoot blurry photos… intentionally! And I hope that answers the question, “what is bokeh in photography?” If you’re looking to create good bokeh you should have an idea of what causes that out-of-focus blur and how to achieve creamy bokeh when you want it.

Thanks for being here. Next, you might enjoy these drone accessories.

about the author

I am Brenda Bergreen, one half of a husband and wife photography team specializing in Colorado wedding photography and videography as well as adventure photography. If you need someone to encourage your creativity, I’m here. (*Links to stuff I like may include affiliate links.)

Download our free guide on how to build a creative business and a life you love. Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help!

In the meantime, remember to…

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Those posts also dive deeper into all of your camera settings whereas for now, we’re focusing on the exposure triangle. You might really enjoy my camera settings series on YouTube as well, which I’ll embed where applicable in the post below.

First, I’ll talk through what the exposure triangle is and why it matters. Then, we’ll use that to understand how to use our camera settings, and finally I’ll talk through my favorite gear for exposure triangle success. Let’s roll!

What is Exposure in Photography?

Exposure is the measure of how light or dark your image is. If your image is too light, we call it an overexposed image. If your picture is too dark, we call it an underexposed image. You control the exposure of your photo by controlling the amount of light that you let into your camera.

Three camera settings help you control exposure. These three camera settings make up the exposure triangle. They are aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The way these three elements interact controls the overall exposure of your image.

The exposure triangle definition is that three dependent variables (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) together control exposure (light) in photography. If you change one variable it images the others which is why here are dependent. In the next section we’ll talk about the importance of proper exposure.

Why is Correct Exposure Important in Photography?

But why do we care about correct exposure? What’s so bad about an underexposed image or an overexposed image? And isn’t it a little subjective depending on what your goal is regarding the light or darkness of an image?

Proper exposure in photography is about controlling the light. Too much light entering into your camera can overexpose your image meaning that you’ll lose some of the details in the highlights or bright areas of your photograph. Not enough light will make it impossible to pick up enough detail in the shadows or dark areas of your photograph.

While some people might like a brighter image and others like a darker image, a properly exposed image will retain maximum detail within your artistic vision. You should aim to properly expose an image knowing that you can always edit the image in post-production. But if you don’t properly expose your photographs you won’t have the ability to edit them in post-production because you will have blown out (overexposed) or failed to capture (underexposed) the details in the brightest and darkest sections of the image.

What is the Exposure Triangle in Photography?

The exposure triangle in photography is the relationship between three camera settings aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. When you change one, it impacts the others. For example, to obtain proper exposure with a slow shutter speed that lets in a lot of light, you’ll need your other settings to let in less light to balance the exposure so you’ll try a small aperture (low-stop number) and low ISO.

How did that example sit with you? Let’s dive into the camera settings so that we can clarify it. Hopefully by the next section you’ll be on your way to choosing camera settings.

Aperture

Aperture is the size of the hole or lens opening that allows light to come into your camera. A wide aperture will let in a lot of light where a smaller aperture will let in less light. One thing to be aware of is that a wider aperture has a high f-stop number such as f8 where a smaller aperture has a low f-stop number such as f1.8.

Low f-stop numbers aka wide apertures are famous for getting that shallow depth of field that creates a beautiful bokeh effect. But in addition to shallow depth, low apertures are also crucial if you’re shooting in a low light setting because you need to be able to balance aperture with your other camera settings. It’s tempting for beginning photographers to simply shoot in aperture priority and at their widest aperture (lowest f-stop) possible.

This allows them to always let in maximum light from aperture ensuring that their shutter speed will never get too slow or ISO too high. Many professionals think it’s better to understand how aperture works and then choose an aperture setting intentionally. While it’s a crucial part of the exposure triangle and important for lighting, it’s also a creative tool for things like that shallow depth of field.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed refers to how fast the camera’s shutter clicks. A faster shutter speed lets in less light whereas a slower shutter speed lets in less light. That sounds like a slow shutter speed would be a good thing for letting in light, but with a slower shutter speed comes camera shake and motion blur.

Motion blur is a blurriness that can be seen when a camera captures motion because of a slower shutter speed. Many photographers use a fast shutter speed to avoid motion blur unless they are intentionally trying to capture movement. As an alternative to using a fast shutter speed, you could use a tripod which would ensure only moving aspects of the image are blurred which is a technique often used in photographing waterfalls.

Again, it can be tempting to want to use shutter priority and ensure you’re using a faster shutter speed at all times to avoid or achieve motion blur. But again, a thorough understanding of the exposure triangle will help you choose your settings with intention.

ISO

Finally, ISO is the last of the three settings in the exposure triangle. ISO refers to the sensitivity of the camera sensor to light. In film it refers to the sensitivity of the type of film used but digital ISO refers to the camera’s sensitivity.

Lower ISO is less sensitive, meaning it lets in less light whereas higher ISO is more sensitive. It sounds like high ISO would be a good thing but actually there is a cost that comes with that extra sensitivity. Higher ISO leads to grainy image results.

A lower iso will produce sharper images with less grain but it has its limitations in low light conditions. It’s important to know the ISO capabilities of your specific camera so that you know how far you can push your ISO without compromising image quality. If you need to lower your ISO you’ll need a wider aperture or slower shutter speed.

How to Choose Camera Settings

When it comes to choosing camera settings using the exposure triangle, it helps to decide which setting will dictate your decision. Will it be aperture shutter speed or ISO? Now, how do we answer that question?

Well, if you’re in a tricky lighting situation, you’re going to use your best camera settings for a tricky lighting situation. If you’re getting creative with motion blur, sun stars, or something else, then you’ll use your camera setting based on that.

Below I’ll run through a few examples based on the best settings for different circumstances.

Best Shutter Speed

The best shutter speed is the one that lets in enough light while not causing any unintentional motion blur or camera shake. Unless you want a long exposure to capture motion such as photographing a waterfall, you’ll probably want to shoot at 1/200 or greater. Or 1/the focal length you’re shooting at.

If you have a steady hand or you brace yourself you can sometimes shoot at lower shutter speeds but depending on how fast the action around you is moving you risk motion blur.

Best Aperture

The best aperture is the lowest one your camera allows because it will let in maximum light allowing you to shoot at higher shutter speeds and lower ISOs. That is, of course, unless you don’t want the shallow depth of field or bokeh effect. You might want a higher aperture for a wider depth of field such as taking a group picture and wanting everyone to be sharp.

Best ISO

The best ISO is the lowest ISO that you can use given the restrictions of your conditions. Outside on a well-lit day you might shoot at ISO 100 all day. However, indoors you might need to raise your ISO to balance your exposure or risk having a too slow shutter speed.

Again, know the ISO capabilities of your camera. Some cameras allow you to get away with shooting at high ISO which lets you shoot in lower light conditions than ever before.

Best Camera Settings

This last video puts it all together for you to help you choose the best settings based on all these factors. It’s tailored to wedding photography but useful for any genre.

Camera Gear for Exposure Triangle Success

Let’s talk about how your gear impacts your mirrorless or DSLR exposure triangle success. It’s easier to capture more light with better gear. That means both your camera body and your camera lens.

Having low-aperture lenses is crucial for being able to shoot in low-light conditions. It can be hard to balance quality and price but I always recommend getting the fastest lens you can afford as long as it’s not too heavy to actually bring with you. Maybe skip the f/1.2 lenses!

Having a camera sensor with high ISO capabilities is also a win.

Cameras, Gear, and Lenses We Recommend

Below is a list of some gear I recommend that will help make capturing light easier. I choose my favorite cameras based features such as high ISO capabilities, fast focus mode, and dynamic range. My favorite lenses are low-aperture lenses that are lightweight and affordable as well as my top choices for accessories.

• Camera Body: Sony A7IV

• Lenses:

  • Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM

  • Sony 20mm f/1.8

  • Sony 35mm f/1.8

  • Sony 55mm f/1.8

  • Sony 85mm f/1.8

  • Sony 70-200mm f/4 G

• Flash System

  • Godox AD200

  • Godox V860iii

  • Godox X-ProS

• Backpack: Shimoda Action X30

• Circular Polarizing Filters

• Drone: Mavic 3

• Travel Light Stands

• Large Light Stands

• Camera Strap

• Camera Holster

I hope you found this post helpful! You might love travel photography gear list or these marketing tips. (Check out our ND filter guide.) If there is anything you’re struggling with leave a comment below and we will do our best to help whether it is a specific camera setting or what camera to buy!

Next check out our candid moments shooting guide or our 9 Best Tips for Outdoor Wedding Photographers. Links to products are affiliate links.

About the author

I am Brenda Bergreen, one half of a Evergreen husband and wife photography team specializing in Colorado wedding photography and videography and adventure photography. If you need wedding photography tips or advice on the best gear for your goals, reach out.

Download our free guide on how to build a creative business and a life you love. Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help!

In the meantime, remember to…

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The goal is to both learn to see and capture candid moments so that you can tell a story. Whether you’re looking to improve your candid wedding photography or portrait photography, these tips should help. After a decade as a professional photographer, I have experience making hard things look easy!

I have compiled the following tips for people looking to improve their candid photography. They aren’t simple shortcuts or easy hacks. They are more for constant learning and guidance toward improving your candid photos. 

What is Candid Photography?

Candid photography is when you create an image that looks natural instead of staged. There are varying levels of pureness in candid photography. Compare true photojournalism where the photographer does not interfere with the scene at all to the more lifestyle photography where the photographer directs the subjects in a way that looks natural.

Depending on your purpose and goal, you might be seeking photojournalism or lifestyle photography. Either way, you’re likely going to want to learn how to take better photos of moments. Whether the moments are completely genuine or somewhat fabricated, there is a story to tell.

As you can imagine, street photography is more photojournalism where family portraits are fairly staged. Wedding photography is somewhere in the middle because the people obviously know they are being photographed but there are also genuinely emotion-filled moments happening.

Why Candid Photos Are Important

Candid photography is a desirable trend for a variety of reasons. Many clients want to remember a real candid moment rather than something fake or staged. This has resulted in the growth of documentary wedding photography, documentary family photography, and perhaps even street photography.

There’s something magical about seeing real and raw moments that street photographers capture. There’s something meaningful about candid portraits of your family even if everyone isn’t smiling at the camera. Candid photographers capture moments and tell stories rather than create something that isn’t real.

The thing is that it’s harder than it looks, take wildlife photography for example. You think that the photographer just got lucky when in reality they may have camped overnight after tracking a certain animal for miles and learning their habits to be able to capture the wildlife in its natural setting. Similarly, with something like street photography, it takes skill to go into a scene and capture natural moments.

How to Shoot Candid Photos

In the next section we’re going to go through tips on these three topics:

1. How to find moments
2. How to use your composition to tell the story surrounding the moment
3. And the part that you, the photographer plays in the storytelling.

Light, Composition, Moment

The three-step process for shooting candid photos is to find the best light, establish your composition, and then wait for the moment. These three steps are the difference between a snapshot and an impactful candid photo. You may have heard this process before: light, composition, moment.

Capturing a picture of a moment is all about being patient and prepared and clicking the shutter at the right moment. But if you can capture that moment with interesting lighting and effective composition, your candid photo will be more impactful. That’s why it’s important to learn to see light, understand camera settings and proper exposure, and study your composition techniques.

Candid photographs require you to remember all of your other photography skills and then add in the element of capturing natural moments. When it comes to capturing natural moments you’ll want to learn how to recognize and anticipate moments. Additionally, it helps to be able to create a comfortable environment for moments to happen.

Unposed (or More Natural Posing)

One of the elements of a candid photo is that it’s either unposed or utilizes very naturally minded posing. This means that you’re not having people look at the camera but rather trying to capture them in action. Our style of photography strives to be very natural, have a look at our guide for natural, connected, and candid poses.

Find the Moment, Tell the Story, Be the Storyteller

Some photography has a message while other styles convey a feeling. Candid photographs tend to tell a story of something that is happening. That’s probably why candid photography is popular for weddings, a couple wants to remember how much fun the wedding party had.

Yes, nail your lighting and learn composition techniques. But in this article let’s discuss how to find the moment, tell the story, and be the storyteller.

Tips for Better Moments in Your Candid Photos

Let’s say you find yourself drawn to shooting candids. Below are my best candid photography tips to help you capture great photos. We’ll talk about recognizing moments as well as creating an environment for them.

These tips will go beyond your typical photography tips so let’s review some of those first. When it comes to light, a nicely lit photograph will read better and be more aesthetically pleasing. You can also use light to highlight a subject or create a certain mood.

In the same way, you can use composition to bring your viewers close to the subject or allow them to view it from a distance. The composition techniques you use will help you tell a larger story about the moment.  For example, you might fill the frame, utilize white space, look for symmetry, or make your photo black and white to remove the distraction of color. 

Try to keep your light and composition skills in mind as you work through the following tips.

Finding the Moment

In order to make a candid more than a snapshot, you need to find a moment. This is the most important part of capturing candids and what makes them meaningful rather than snapshots. If you think about all we talked about so far, it’s clear that this is where the real challenge is. How do you capture that meaningful raw emotion? How do you show the joy of a wedding? There are 4 main tips to help you here

1. Be a good listener & observer

To make meaningful candid photos, you must tune in to your ability to listen and observe. This can be interpreted in several ways. First off, you must listen to your inner voice and choose a subject and framing that speaks to you and then you need to listen and observe to anticipate fleeting moments.

Follow your gut by seeking out the composition and scene that draws your attention. Often, it is easy to be distracted and bounce around between subjects but I think it is key to stick with your original focus here. This decisive moment takes commitment but it is crucial to being ready for those authentic moments.

This brings us to the next challenge, you must listen and observe to anticipate the moment. Learning to expect what is happening next will allow you the time to get your framing before the unposed moments occur. Instead of chasing moments, you will let them come to you! This is a constant learning process of anticipating and predicting what people will do next based on the input you observe. 

2. Shoot through the moment to get the true moment

Once you have followed the first tip, it is important to shoot through the moment. I think the key is to watch diligently through your viewfinder (or at least keep your viewfinder close to your eye) and shoot the moment but instead of stopping when you think it’s over, shoot past it. I can remember several times that I stopped shooting because I thought I had the best frame, only to realize that things continued to get better.

It is easy to move on after you “got the shot” but staying just a little longer than you thought you needed to will lead to some moments that you would have missed. The other component is to pay attention and make sure that you are not wasting images before the actual moment. Yes, pressing the shutter doesn’t cost you anything, but it does take mental energy that could be directed toward observing the scene.

Plus, nobody wants to cull through extra images without a real moment. The hard part here is not being in a rush to get on to the next shot but staying present in the unplanned moment. You must plan for the unplanned and be ready at a moment’s notice.

3. Carry a camera be hungry for moments!

This tip is something I continually work on and have seasons that I do more than others. Trying to have a real camera with me all the time allows me to practice my craft as much as possible. It also helps me to feel engaged in watching for moments.

I believe that the key to seeing and anticipating moments is practice. All of these candid photography tips require practice. Having a camera accessible will allow me to follow through on the visual seeing I continually practice.

Being hungry for moments is also a fun way to live because it’s not just about taking candid shots but experiencing the joy and raw emotions of life. Photography has increased my observational skills which has led to more gratitude for life.

4. Shoot what it feels like!

The last tip comes from David Allen Harvey: “Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.” Keeping in mind all the above tips, I think this is truly the key to creating emotionally connected and successful photographs. People view photography to get a window into a scene that they want to feel.

It’s not enough just to see what something looks like, you have to feel it. Learn to connect with your own emotions so that you can capture the emotions of others. Empathy and compassion are great skills to hone here.

You can even apply this to your exposure sessions because you might choose a certain shutter speed now only because there’s low light but also because there’s a story you want to tell. It’s also freeing to realize that digital noise might not always be a bad thing, maybe it communicates the intimacy of a dark low light moment in a way that bounce flash might have disrupted things.

Telling the Story

Once you know how to predict and capture when a moment is happening, it’s time to add some layers to complicate it all. That’s a bad pun but your framing and composition choices such as layering and mood can help tell a story. What else is in the frame? Which brings us to…

5. Do I need to show everything or can I get a little closer?

Often people think they need to show everything in the scene to communicate context but humans are quite adept at interpreting what is happening with just a small amount of context. People often suggest getting in close but I prefer to think about what can be eliminated in the frame to simplify the story.  What background elements are helpful and which ones are distractions?

Cutting things out of the frame reduces clutter, simplifies the scene, and hones in on the important components. The added benefit of getting rid of things in your frame by getting closer is that people will feel the “closeness” in your images and feel a deeper emotional connection to the subject. You might be tempted to use a long lens or a zoom lens but a lot of candid photography is shot on wider angles.

It’s not just about getting closer to the moment, if it was you could just zoom in with a long telephoto lens. It’s also about how close it feels to the viewer and the focal length plays a big part in how an image feels. This is probably one of the most important candid photography tips because it makes candid moments read well when you’re looking at the image.

6. Is there somewhere else that I can go that will make context easier to read?

This is a simple tip to get you to think about the best angle to communicate with your viewer. Finding the best composition can be difficult, so thinking about it in terms of making it simpler to “read” will help. Simple often means looking straight on with your subjects and squaring up with the scene.

Getting closer can also be helpful, see above. This goes back to that decisive moment where you need to choose your framing and then commit to it. Unless it’s not working, don’t be afraid to try something else

The more you practice, the more your instinct will take over so try using this in everyday life. Practice getting a good view or angle of the candid moments that are happening around you. You can do this even when you aren’t taking photos.

7. Human eyes are lazy, make it simple

This is a variation of the above tip. By making your photographs easy to “read,” you will improve their appeal. People consume a huge amount of imagery these days and getting someone’s attention often means making photographs digestible.

If someone can quickly see what the photograph is about, I think it will hold their interest longer because their eyes can appreciate it instead of trying to figure out what is happening. This does not mean the complex compositions can’t be successful, just that the concept in the photo needs to be easy to understand. We always say, simple is best.

It can be easy to want to try something new complex and creative. But have you noticed that sometimes it’s a nice solid photo that tells the story best? Simple doesn’t mean you can’t use all of your composition techniques and lighting skills, it just means don’t sacrifice the image for the creation of it.

Which Brings us To the Storyteller

You are the storyteller so it’s going to be your interpretation of the moment that is created in your photographs. That being said, you don’t want to be seen in the photo, you don’t want to distract from the story. It’s a delicate balance to engage without interfering. To be present but not detected. And to tell the story how you experience it. A few things to remember on that front.

8. Connection between subject & viewer is key (not photographer)

The connection people feel when they see your photographs should be with the subject within the photograph, not the photographer who took it. I think this is a result of connecting with your subjects and making them feel relaxed enough to present themselves to the audience that will view the finished photograph. Sometimes, you can feel the photographer in the photo.

You can tell when the photographer is “in” the photograph when you feel like there is another presence influencing the scene. When it comes to portraits, this often shows up in the form of awkward or unnatural posing. By truly connecting with your subjects, you can allow them to connect with the viewer.

I’m not a street photographer so I don’t shoot from the hip and try to make it seem like I’m not taking photos. In my candid images, my subjects know I’m there but my goal is to make them comfortable enough that they aren’t self-conscious. Then I can capture real emotions.

9. What do YOU find most interesting? Let that direct you.

If you’re ever in an unfamiliar scene and aren’t sure where to start, pay attention to what you initially find most interesting. By allowing yourself to tune in and listen to your feelings about a scene, you will often find a subject that visually interests you. If you are interested, you will probably take more interesting photographs!

I often talk about how easy it can be to get stressed about all the images we’re expected to take. In reality, no one will know the shots you missed because they’ll only know the shots you captured. As you’re looking for candid moments, find the ones that speak to you.

Most of my photography tips are customizable, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all quick-fix solution. Instead, you need to find how to capture candid shots in a way that works best for you. Take the advice and then personalize it to your style and interests.

10. Observe and Document, don’t interfere… but be Present

I think people often talk about being a “fly on the wall” and that they don’t interfere with a scene. I would encourage people to try a different method. Before you can sit back and observe and document a scene, you have to be very present and connected.

If you go straight to the documentary part without building a connection, you will never get the same moments because your subjects won’t be as relaxed. I try as much as possible to observe and document, but first I try to be as connected and present as possible! You want people to know you were there but you were so natural and made them so comfortable that they didn’t notice you.

I talked about this before by addressing the idea that you’re doing to shoot from the hip and no one will notice. While this may work for some photographers and some types of photography, I think taking great candid photos requires you to connect. That being said, don’t interfere and be obnoxious or you’ll be what we call a moment killer.

Best Camera Gear for Candid Photos

When it comes to the best camera gear for candid photos there are a few things to consider. You want something compact and unobtrusive enough that people don’t feel like they’re having their picture taken. A silent shutter feature of the mirrorless cameras is really nice because there’s no distracting click killing the moment.

Best Cameras for Candids

Best professional level camera: Sony A7 IV

Best affordable camera: Sony A7 C

Best Lenses for Candid

Best wide angle lens to telling intimate stories: Sony 35mm f/1.8

Best telephoto lens if you can’t get close: Sony 70-200mm f/4 G

Review of Tips for Candid Shots

Taking candid photos can be rewarding. As you dial in your camera settings aiming for that perfect shot I hope you’ll intentionally consider which foreground elements to include and which ones to exclude. Then, I hope you practice having your camera settings and your camera ready for the candid nature of the shot.

more educational content:

Looking for low-light tips, the best cameras, or a new camera bag? We have plenty of gear and educational content to help you with your photography.

• Low Light Photography Tips
• Wedding Settings Guide for Photographers
• Easy to Understand Camera Settings Guide
• ND Filter Guide
• Drone Accessories
• Wedding Photography in the Rain

about the author

I am Brenda Bergreen, one half of a husband and wife photography team specializing in Colorado wedding photography and videography and adventure photography. If you need someone to encourage your creativity, I’m here.

Download our free guide on how to build a creative business and a life you love. Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help!

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Because sometimes going from amateur to professional is all about your mindset, let’s first get into the professional photographer mindset to help us dive into the camera settings that professionals use. After over a decade of experience as a full time photographer, I still sometimes struggle to feel professional.

And, my husband is a photographer too which means we pay all our bills and buy all of our food based on our photography work. If that’s not professional, I don’t know what is. Let’s start there with how to know when you’re using camera settings like a professional.

How You Know When You’re Using Camera Settings Like a Professional

You know you’re using camera settings like a professional when you can do it intuitively. This isn’t camera settings explained for dummies, it’s camera settings and what they do for people who want to do it naturally. What that means is that you no longer have to over think or over analyze every decision you make. It takes a certain level of knowledge and understanding of camera settings combined with a whole lot of experience.

One day you just realize it’s not as stressful to get the shot as it used to be. The more you shoot the more your instincts will guide you to choose the right camera settings. You’re develop your own auto mode that makes decisions better that the auto mode on your camera.

I don’t even think you have to know everything. Instead, I think you need to know enough of the right things. Combine that with practice and experience and you’ll be set. For the best camera settings for travel photography, for example, you want the ones that help you remember the trip like you want. Next check out this travel photography gear and then head off adjusting camera settings!

Aperture: Because it changes the look of your photos

Aperture is in some ways the most important camera setting because it often has the most impact on the look of our photos in any given photoshoot setting. There’s a wide swath of shutter speeds you can shoot at that won’t change the look of your photo but aperture changes the look. I think that’s why a lot of people end up starting out by shooting in aperture priority mode.

It’s not a bad choice as I’ll talk about in a later section. However, it does limit your control which limits your creativity. I’d much rather you have the goal of shooting in manual mode and having full control, and don’t worry, you won’t need a photography settings chart.

Regardless of how you shoot you’re going to be choosing your aperture for two main reasons. A wide aperture, low f-stop number, creates that shallow depth of field and bokeh effect that can be really pretty. Additionally, a wide aperture lets in more light which allows more flexibility in your other settings such as being able to shoot at faster shutter speeds.

Best aperture camera settings

As I alluded to above, a wide aperture, low f-stop number, is desirable. It allows you to shoot at a lower ISO and faster shutter speed and it creates that beautiful depth of field. There are times that you might want a higher f-stop number such as a photo there you want a higher depth of field so that more things are sharp.

Generally the best aperture is the lowest one your camera lens is capable of unless it causes you to miss focus or doesn’t allow for the depth of field you’re looking for. Meaning, you might shoot your f/1.8 lens on 1.8 a lot but if you’re worried about nailing the focus point for whatever reason you might shoot f/2 or even f/4 for something like a group photo. You might shoot a high aperture to get a cool sun flare or because you want to shoot a low shutter speed.

Aperture is a key camera setting. It’s impacted by the aperture capability as well as the focal length of the lens that you’re using. For example, a wider lens like a 35mm lens will not show the depth of field bokeh as dramatically as a telephoto lens such as an 85mm.

Shutter Speed: An essential photography setting to capture motion

Shutter speed is often where I play and is the camera setting I adjust the most in order to deal with variable lighting conditions. Often that play has nothing to do with the impact of the shutter speed and is more to maintain an aperture and ISO. However, sometimes playing with shutter speed is the most fun from an impact standpoint because you can capture motion.

Picture a bike speeding through the forest or the milky water of a waterfall. What about playing with shutter speeds when photographing a twirling dress or a crazy dance party. There are times with a slow shutter speed allows you to do something really unique and creative.

Sometimes you’ll want to avoid a slow shutter speed while other times a slower shutter speed will help you achieve a fun effect. And there are times when you might need to use a slower shutter speed than you would like in which case you will try to stabilize yourself to avoid camera shake.

Best Shutter Speed

The best shutter speed is whatever shutter speed allows you to achieve your aperture and ISO goals as long as it is fast enough to avoid motion blur. Unless you’re trying to achieve motion blur. In fast moving environments staying at a fast shutter speed above 1/500 or even 1/1000 can be nice. Otherwise, you generally want to stay above 1/200 or have a minimum shutter speed of 1/ whatever focal length of the lens you are shooting.

If you’re trying to achieve motion blur then you want to go as slow as you can without camera shake. Or if you have a tri-pod you can go even slower. For a waterfall, for example, you might try 1/4 and utilize a variable ND filter if you need more control over the exposure. For star photos you might use 15″ or 20″. Once you get above around 25-30″ you’ll start to get star trails or capture a lot of ambient.

Typically a fast shutter speed is preferred so that you don’t have to worry about camera shake or motion blur. It’s good to have an idea of your minimum shutter speed for various situations you might encounter. Which brings us to our next camera setting.

IS0: Achieving the best dynamic range

ISO is an important camera setting because it deals with the sensitivity of the camera sensor. A low ISO ensures high image quality and dynamic range. However, sometimes you need to bump to a higher ISO in order to handle low light conditions.

Luckily, professional cameras have high ISO capabilities. It’s important to learn the capability of your camera which might be 3200 or even upwards of 6400. You will lose some dynamic range so it’s a compromise but in low light conditions you’re not expecting much dynamic range anyway.

At high ISO you’re going to see more digital noise in your images depending on your camera’s sensitivity. Of the photography settings, ISO is the one that is seldomly used creatively and more used out of desperation. However, high ISO capabilities of advanced digital cameras gives us more creative flexibility within our other settings.

Best ISO camera settings

The best ISO is the lowest ISO that allows you to achieve the approproate shutter speed and aperture. If bright conditions this is likely ISO 100 because you can flexibly adjust your other settings. In lower light conditions, a low ISO might force you to shoot at too slow of a shutter speed causing unintentional motion blur.

Auto ISO

I avoid using auto ISO because I want to know the compromises that I am making. If you end up in low light conditions and use Auto ISO you could find yourself shooting at some crazy high ISO that’s too grainy. I can see where you might not have a choice but there are other compromises to consider such as a slower shutter speed, lower aperture, or adding some light to the scene.

Camera Shooting Modes

After all of that I hope that your decision of camera mode comes easy. I encourage you to have the goal of shooting in manual mode where you have full creative control over the impact of aperture and shutter speed. However, since we’re talking about camera settings it’s worth looking at the camera mode.

Full Automatic Mode (A)

Full automatic mode is when all of the camera settings are fully automatic. While it’s cool that your camera can make decisions for you, fully automatic limits any creative decisions that you might make with your photography.

Aperture Priority Mode (Av)

Aperture priority mode has you choose the aperture and the camera chooses the shutter speed. The camera uses its light meter to choose the appropriate shutter speed. The way I shoot, aperture priority mode seems like a reasonable choice.

However, I don’t like my camera making decisions for me that might limit my creativity. Especially because you can learn shortcuts that don’t actually require you to choose settings for every photograph but rather have a plan for how you shoot in various situations.

Shutter Priority Mode (Tv)

Shutter priority mode has you choose the shutter speed and the camera chooses the aperture. Again, the camera uses the light meter to ensure a proper exposure. You might use shutter priority mode if your main concern is capturing motion in a certain way.

Manual Mode

Lastly, we get to manual mode. As you already know, I love to have full control over my aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Shooting in manual mode isn’t as complicated as it sounds once you understand how the settings work and how you plan to use them in your photography.

Pick the Best Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO Settings

When it comes time to pick your basic camera settings, you’ll want to have an idea of your goals. Frequently your goal will have you starting with the lowest ISO possible for the scene where you won’t end up with a too slow shutter speed. Then you’ll choose your aperture based on your intended depth of field. And finally, you’ll adjust your shutter speed as you move around the scene keeping proper exposure.

If you’re not in variable lighting conditions then you might put a little more thought into the settings. If there is less light you’ll want to pay more attention to your shutter speed settings to ensure you don’t dip below your minimum.

Focus Camera Settings – Important to take sharp photos

Next up for camera settings is focus modes. There’s probably a lot to say but there’s also less and less to say as cameras focus better and better even when there’s less light.

Focus mode is the method used to focus the camera lens, such as automatic or manual. The focus mode determines how the camera’s autofocus system works. There are several focus modes available on most cameras, including single-shot autofocus (AF-S), continuous autofocus (AF-C), and automatic autofocus (AF-A). Each of these modes is useful for different shooting situations however I tended to stick to continuous autofocus for most situations.

single-shot autofocus (af-s):

This focus mode is useful for still subjects, such as posed portraits or still-life details. In this mode, the camera locks onto the subject when the shutter button is pressed halfway. It remains locked until the image is captured. This mode was great for older DSLR cameras that didn’t have as efficient autofocus as modern mirrorless cameras.

continuous autofocus (af-c):

This focus mode is useful for moving subjects, such as action sports or during a wedding ceremony or the wedding reception. In this mode, the camera continuously adjusts the focus as the subject moves, allowing the photographer to capture sharp, in-focus images.

Most modern mirrorless cameras have excellent autofocus and can easily lock onto a subject.

automatic autofocus (af-a):

Automatic autofocus mode is a combination of the above two, and is useful for situations where the subject is moving but may stop. In this mode, the camera automatically switches between single-shot autofocus and continuous autofocus, depending on the movement of the subject. I don’t recommend this mode for wedding photographers because it doesn’t give you as much control over your camera. The most important thing is to know what your camera is doing at all times. I find the best and most consistent results when I make all the decisions.

manual focus

If there are low light conditions and the autofocus system is struggling we sometimes switch to manual focus. It has to be very dark but in situations like long exposures of the couple with the stars, manual focus is very helpful.

Drive Mode – A fun camera setting for fast paced life

Drive mode is a fun camera setting to be aware of and it can be useful in certain situations. You might also have heard this as burst mode.

What are the drive modes camera settings?

There are several types of drive modes available on most cameras, including single-shot, continuous low, continuous medium, and continuous high. Single-shot mode takes one photo each time the shutter button is pressed, while continuous low, medium, and high modes take multiple photos per second. Continuous high mode is particularly useful for capturing fast-moving subjects such as dancing guests or popping champagne, while continuous low mode can be useful for capturing more subtle moments such as the bride and groom exchanging glances.

It’s worth noting that using drive mode will result in a lot of photos which can drain the battery, fill the car, and also require a little buffer time before the next thing.

Metering Modes – The camera setting that measures light

Next let’s talk about metering modes. Metering modes measure light and help make camera settings decisions when you’re shooting in aperture priority mode. Metering modes include center-weighted metering, spot metering, and matrix or evaluative metering.

The different metering modes measure light and use it to calculate exposure. It’s pretty much as it sounds with center-weight metering mode measuring the light at the center, spot metering mode measuring at a spot typically your focus point, and evaluative metering mode measuring the whole scene.

As Sony mirrorless shooters that utilize manual mode, we don’t use metering in the way we would have in the past. Instead, the exposure is locked in by out settings but there is a light meter at the bottom of the screen that will help you asses your exposure.

Basic Camera Settings

Let’s review the three basic camera settings:

• Aperture is the size of the opening

• Shutter speed is the speed of the shutter

• ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor

While these three camera settings are often considered the basic camera settings, that doesn’t mean they’re simple to understand. The trick with the exposure triangle is that each of these camera settings is influenced by the other.

Once you understand how aperture impacts shutter speed impacts ISO you’ll start to understand how a basic camera makes decisions while in auto mode. Soon auto mode won’t be a setting on your camera but rather a setting in your head because you’ll be able to automatically know what settings you want to use.

Want to better understand the exposure triangle? Check out the video below:

Sample Problems with Best Camera Settings

Let’s walk through my train of thought for various situations and see how all the camera settings shake out. See if you follow my train of thought, agree with my choices, or how you would do things differently. I’ll start with a scenario and them talk through how I decide what my camera settings should be.

Sometimes there are different camera settings that result in an equally good photo. It’s good to be aware of how to think through a problem so that you can do it on the spot. However, sometimes you can simply let your instincts take over and then break down why it worked later.

Knowing which camera setting you want to start with is a good place to start because all the settings play off of each other. Additionally, the more the can simplify the better. What I mean is that if you can set two settings and keep one flexible as you move through a scene it simplifies the decisions and mistakes you might make shooting on manual.

A Dimly Lit Room

I walk into a dimly lit room where people are moving around at a moderate pace. My desire is to capture some images of the people mingling. First I know that I’m going to need a fast lens so I put on a 35mm f/1.8.

Then with my aperture at 1.8 and a shutter speed of about 1/200 I aim towards a dark area of the room and see that I’ll need atleast an ISO of 2000. I decide to set it at 3200 willing to compromise some dynamic range for not risking too low of a shutter speed. I then shoot a series of images at f/1.8, ISO 3200, and a shutter speed anywhere between 1/200 and 1/1000 depending on where I am in the room.

In this example I’m limited by low light so I’m choosing a balance between sacrificing potential grain from a high ISO and risking motion blur from a slow shutter speed. I’m also trying to find a compromise where I can move throughout the room without having to change all of my settings.

A Bright Sunny Day

It’s a bright sunny day and I’m shooting nature photos outside. I have a low aperture lens because I want to create a shallow depth of field. Next, I choose an ISO of 100 because I’m not at all concerned about low light.

Finally, I’m able to choose my shutter speed based on how much light there is how the scene looks through my mirrorless camera perhaps referencing the light meter. In this case the aperture determines everything else.

For bonus points, what if I want to create a cool sunburst effect instead of a shallow depth of field or I want everything to be in focus? I simply bump my aperture up and lower my shutter speed accordingly.

Intentional Blur

Let’s take a scenario where I want to capture motion blur of a mountain biker. I choose 1/100 because it feels slow enough that the mountain biker will be blury but not so slow that they’ll be illegible. Since I have a slow shutter speed I can set ISO 100 because I’m not worried about a lack of light.

Finally, I’ll adjust my aperture based on how much light there is and how the scene looks through my mirrorless camera perhaps referencing the light meter. In this case the shutter speed determines everything else.

It’s nice to experiment with different shutter speeds for different scenes so that you know limits. What if you try shooting a waterfall at 1/4, 1/10, and 1/100 in order to see the differences? Can you visualize it or do you need to try? This is where experience comes in because sometimes you learn something best by failing at it in a different attempt.

Wedding Photography Camera Settings:

The videos embedded into this post are mostly focused on camera settings for wedding photographers but you might find them helpful regardless of the type of photography you shoot. Wedding photography is one of the most challenging genres because there’s a wide variety of lighting conditions and creative expectations to tackle while under stress.

Hopefully, the tips will help you move beyond automatic mode so that you can consciously and intentionally use aperture shutter speed and iso. You may start with a basic camera setting understanding and then eventually lear to play with more technical things such as slower shutter speeds.

My advice for beginner photographers is always to start with one new challenge at a time. Don’t try to do everything but pick something to master and practice it. Eventually all of the new skills will add up like tools in your tool belt and you’ll no longer have to think about what you want to do because it will be instintual.

File Type

One last camera setting is to shoot raw files so that you have more editing capabilities. You might even shoot both raw and jpg depending on your workflow. I also encourage dual-card slots.

Final remarks for finding the right Camera Settings

Finding the right camera settings will help you take better photos so learn these camera options. That might mean you’re more creative or you’re more consistent. Or it might make it easier for you to make quick decisions and nail the shot that you might have otherwise missed. Start with the basic camera settings and add more knowledge as you grow.

There are some aspects of camera settings you don’t have to thing about on a daily basis while there are others that you’ll make conscious decisions around. Whether you’re staring in aperture priority or learning to master aperture and shutter speed by shooting in manual, the exposure seddings are the most important camera settings to master.

Luckily, they’re also the most practical settings to master because the more you shoot the more you’ll adjust exposure settings until eventually you’re nailing the proper shutter speed without even thinking about it. Then, you’ll even get faster at your post processing because your getting the image right in camera.

more educational content:

What do you want to hear next? Should I dive more specifically into camera settings for candid photography
or camera settings for outdoor photography? The tips above cover everything that we would cover but I’m always happy to help teach.

This was one of my favorite camera guides yet! I hope it helped you with camera settings for family portraits, weddings, and beyond. Let me know what else you want to learn or what I missed! Should I address camera adjustments and camera settings for interior design photography or camera settings for marketing videos?

• Outdoor Wedding Photography Tips

• Wedding Photography Tips for Beginners

• Wedding Photography Gear

• Adventure Photographer Gear

• Photography Portfolio Creation

• Photography Tips for Mountain Landscapes

• Photography Marketing

• How to Price Wedding Photography
• Drone Accessories

about the author

I am Brenda Bergreen, one half of a husband and wife photography team specializing in Colorado wedding photography and videography and adventure photography. If you need someone to encourage your creativity, I’m here.

Download our free guide on how to build a creative business and a life you love. Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help!

In the meantime, remember to…

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