8 steps to better photos on AUTO {step 8: 50mm lens for gorgeous portraits and low light photos}

This is the final installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

People want to take better photos, which often leads to buying a better camera and other equipment. Generally, I think improving your understanding of things like lighting and learning to use whatever camera you have will go further toward getting good pictures than any amount of expensive equipment. However, there are a few exceptions, and if you have a dSLR, a 50mm 1.8 lens is one of them. It's a pretty neat little lens, and it's not super expensive. Even on auto, it will make a difference in your photos, especially if you want to take portraits with extreme background blur (bokeh) or you want to be able to take photos inside without using your flash (and if you've read step 1 you know you never want to use your flash). To see how much difference using a 50mm lens as opposed to your kit lens (the one that came with your camera) I took photos in a number of different lighting conditions with both lenses so we could all compare. Keep reading for more explanation of what makes the 50mm lens a worthwhile investment and comparison photos.

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8 steps to better photos on AUTO {step 7: blur the background}

This is the seventh installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

Blurring the background is one of the best ways to turn a snapshot into a great photo. When the background of the photo is blurred, the subject becomes the obvious focus and almost seems to jump out of the photo. A blurred background adds softness to the photo and makes it look more professional. In addition, blurring the background allows you to get a great photo wherever you are without having to worry about distracting background elements. The standard method for blurring the background requires knowing how to manipulate your camera's aperture. However, there are a few simple tricks you can use to get similar results on auto, without messing with any of your camera's settings. Let's look at some example photos:

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8 steps to better photos on AUTO {step 6: change your perspective}

This is the sixth installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

Shooting from a different perspective is really one of the best ways to turn a snapshot into a really interesting photograph. One of the coolest things about great photos is that they show us something we've seen before in a different way. Sometimes that happens because the background is blurred, bringing the subject into stark focus (and we'll talk about that next week). Other times it's because movement is completely frozen, letting us see something that happened in a split second (we'll talk about that soon too). Shooting from a new perspective helps us see things differently than we normally do as well. And since things look a little different, we pay more attention. Perspective can help clarify the focus of your photo, it can lend emotion to your photo, and it can simply help you take a more flattering picture of someone. Let's look at some examples:

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8 steps to better photos on AUTO {step 5: zoom in for a better candid}

This is the fifth installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four

So far in the series, we talked about lighting (indoor+out) and backgrounds (removing distractions+finding a great background around the house). Following the steps for good light and great backgrounds will dramatically improve your photos - but they can be hard to apply to candid photo situations. You can't tell your child to shoot hoops in the other direction because you don't want your car in the background, or to go shoot hoops behind the house where it's shady. Now, you can certainly apply lighting and background knowledge to some candid photo situations - you can suggest the family play a board game at the table by the window instead of in the basement, for example - but when you can't control lighting and background your best bet for a great candid photo is to zoom in close. Zooming in puts the emphasis where you want it (on your son's expression as he shoot the basketball) instead of on everything else (cars, houses, other kids, etc.).

Now, I'm not suggesting that every photo you take needs to be a close-up. Instead, I just want you to decide what you want to include in your photo and then zoom in close enough to eliminate everything else. Let's look at some examples:

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eight steps to better photos on AUTO {step 4: find a better background}

This is the fourth installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you.
Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

Most of the photos I take are of my own children playing around the house. Lots of them look like the first photo above - it's a cute snapshot of my daughter, but it's full of distractions - couch cushions, a busy rug, random bits of paper. (Alright, since we're being honest here, most of the around-the-house snapshots also include random toys, laundry I washed five days ago and haven't folded yet, and a healthy sprinkling of Cheerios in the background...) But that's just life with kids, and those sorts of photos are inevitable, right? Wrong! Well, stepping on Cheerios six times a day may be inevitable, but taking photos full of background distractions doesn't have to be. You don't even need to invest in expensive photography backdrops in order to take photos that have a professional-looking background. In less than 60 seconds you can find a better background in or around your own home. Keep reading for 8 great background ideas, and turn your distracting snapshots into beautiful portraits. 

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eight steps to better photos on auto {step 3: eliminate distractions}

This is the third installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

Here's a fun little story to start things off today: last summer I was visiting my parents and we decided to take advantage of their nice backyard to snap a family photo. It's kind of a miserable process trying to get a good family photo when your family includes five kids under the age of 12, and we spent a good twenty minutes cajoling, bribing, and threatening kids to sit down and look at the camera while one of my sisters took 75 pictures of us. I figured I could do some head swapping and come up with something good enough, right? Well, I looked through all the pictures, focusing on finding the ones with the best expressions so I could start compiling things into one nice photo. That's when I realized that due to the child on my lap pulling at my dress my bra was clearly visible in every single photo. Very visible. Visible in a  I-don't-think-I-can-fix-that-in-Photoshop way. It's the only thing I see when I look at those pictures now. All that work to get a family photo and one silly but extremely distracting detail means it's never going up on my wall. 

Today's post is called "eliminate distracting elements" but it could just as easily be called "actually LOOK at what you are taking a picture of and make adjustments if needed before you waste a whole bunch of time and end up super disappointed because there's a dumb tree/piece of trash/undergarment in the way that's ruining the entire photo!" Take this picture for example:

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8 steps to better photos on auto {step 2: outdoor light}

Today is the second installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

Hi everyone! So last week I told you to turn off your flash and use natural light to get better photos. Click over if you missed it - you'll be amazed at the difference it makes in your photos. Today I'm going to talk about taking photos outdoors, because that's the best way to get natural light (i.e. light from the sun and sky as opposed to artificial lights). Outdoor lighting makes everything look better - just take a look at these cookies for proof: 

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8 steps to better photos on AUTO {step 1: turn off your flash}

Hi all! Today starts a new photography series I've been working on which will teach you how to take better photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

Step 1: TURN OFF YOUR FLASH & USE NATURAL LIGHT

The pop-up flash on your camera almost always makes your photos look worse, especially when you're taking photos of people. You end up with washed out skin tones, red eyes (or black eyes with an alien-like dot in the middle) and harsh shadows all around the person's head. Look at the difference between these two photos:

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