Try picking up photography as a way to gain some focus and direction in your life. Photography allows you to capture special moments and the beauty of nature. As the saying goes, “A picture’s worth 1000 words.”

Play with the aperture settings. Take a number of photos of the same subject with different settings to see how it affects the look of the final photo. Bigger f-stops allow you to get an entire landscape in focus, while a smaller f-stop will draw attention only to the center of your frame.

If you want to take high quality portraits, do not rely on your camera’s built in flash. Instead you want to look at investing in a softbox to use for external lighting. If you can’t afford this, look into purchasing an external flash unit with a diffuser for your camera.

Make sure you have the right lighting before taking a photograph. Lighting is perhaps the most important factor in producing a good black and white photograph, because it affects the texture, contrast and shape of the image. Side lighting can produce some dramatic photographs as it creates shadows and highlights the edges of shapes.

One of the best ways for you to learn about photography is to study examples of how to hold your camera and work your subject during photo shoots. In addition, you can talk to someone who has been in photography for a long time to gain valuable insight on your craft.

Although taking pictures might not be everyone’s cup of tea, almost anyone enjoys a good picture. Photography allows us to to capture memories that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Doing photography can be fulfilling and wonderful for those involved. Taking photos is also a good way to de-stress and forget about the troubles of the day.