Technology only takes us so far. You have the ability to take nearly infinite photos on camera equipment that would have made a photographer from three decades ago weep with envy, and the further ability to turn those photos into canvas art prints that would look right at home in an art gallery. And yet that print doesn’t do you any good if the photo itself is dull, lifeless, and pointless.
You can try to make your bad photos worth making into canvas art prints in post-production using filters and every trick in your photo software’s book, but often that just results in a lot of layered-on mess. The key is to take better photos in the first place, photos that cry out to be made into canvas prints online. When this discussion comes up, however, it often leads to extremely technical discussions about HDR and white balance, and some of us just aren’t built for that. Instead, let’s consider some of the forehead-slappingly obvious advice no one ever gives to amateur photographers.
Obvious Advice # 1: Have Your Camera Out & On for Your Canvas Art Prints
Here’s the scenario: You’re at an event with loved ones, a special moment. All around you are amazing photo opportunities, and each time you see one, you whip out your phone, swipe it unlocked, find the camera icon, tap it, wait for it to boot, point the camera, wait for auto-focus, and finally snap a photo. And the end result is the aftermath of something special, with the composition destroyed and the people already moving on.
Instead, have your camera App on and your phone in your hand any time you think photo opportunities are coming. Set your phone’s power settings to stop it from blanking the screen, too. Yes, your battery will drain, but when an opportunity comes to take a photo, you’ll be much faster on the trigger.
Obvious Advice # 2: Take a Breath
Too often, photographers are simply too fast on that trigger. You see something interesting or emotionally arresting – something ideal for making into cheap canvas prints – and you whip the phone up and start snapping away. The end result is a wibbly-wobbly mess that you might treasure personally as a memory, but would never make into canvas art prints for your wall.
So, take a breath. You have your camera App on and ready to go, right? So when you see a photo worth taking you have a few seconds. Steady yourself. Take a breath. Consider the composition in the frame and adjust the zoom or the positioning accordingly. Start off with a superior photo in the first place, and you’ll have a much better chance of ending up with one worth making into canvas prints online.
Obvious Advice # 3: Change Camera Settings Ahead of Time
You know where you’re going, usually. Yes, sometimes photo opportunities spring up unexpectedly and you might not have the time to mess with settings, but if you’re headed to an event and know you’re going to want to take pictures, you can anticipate the lighting situation and have your App settings customised ahead of time. Instead of trying to mess with sliders and tabs on your tiny screen in the darkness, take a moment before entering the venue and make sure your settings are ideal for the lighting situation you’re going to be walking into.
Starting off with better photos will make polishing them a little easier, and make your final results better-suited for cheap canvas prints. When you’ve mastered the art and have your first batch of improved photos, click here and we’ll take it the last mile to greatness!