Producing professional photos yourself – here's how

In times of Instagram and the like, a good photo is worth more than ever before.

The problem is that not everyone has the necessary equipment or experience to take professional photos themselves.

In this article, we'll show you how you can still easily achieve professional results.

The be-all and end-all: light and perspective

Anyone to take professional-looking photos needs to consider a few things beforehand. The most important question is: What do you want to photograph? As a general rule, the more light, the better! Always make sure your subject is adequately lit – either with artificial light or by using natural light sources like windows. If you really want to take professional-looking photos, why not rent one of the photo studios in Berlin ?

Avoid direct sunlight if possible , as this can quickly lead to unsightly reflections. However, sunlight at sunrise or sunset is a completely different story – here the light is particularly warm and creates a very special atmosphere.

Another important point is perspective . For example, if you want to photograph food, it often looks best from above. This gives the viewer an overview and allows them to see all the ingredients at a glance. The same applies to photos of people: if you take the picture from below, your subject appears more powerful.

From above, however, your model appears childlike and vulnerable. But be careful: overly extreme perspectives quickly look unnatural and should therefore be avoided in most cases.

Once you have found the perfect perspective

The next step is to set up the camera correctly. If you don't have a professional camera, don't worry – you can achieve great results even with a smartphone camera if you know a few things. First and foremost, it's important to find the right settings for your subject.

For example, if you photograph a landscape , the "Panorama" mode usually the best choice. If, on the other hand, you are photographing people, the "Portrait" mode ensures that the background is blurred and your subject is in sharp focus.

If you want even more control over your photos, you should switch your smartphone camera to manual mode. In most cases, this is done by selecting the "Pro" option in the settings menu . Then you can adjust things like shutter speed, ISO, and aperture yourself. However, this requires a little practice – if you're not entirely sure what all these settings mean, it's best to leave them on automatic for now.

Now that you know how to set up your camera, you can take the perfect photo. Just make sure your subject is in focus and the background is nicely blurred. If you want to achieve this effect with your smartphone camera, simply position your subject a few meters away from the background and use a wide aperture setting.

Perfect image editing: here's how it works

You've taken the perfect photo – but your work isn't finished yet. To get the best results from your images, a few small steps in image editing necessary.

The best way to do this is with a professional program like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. However, these programs are usually very complex and therefore not suitable for beginners. Fortunately, there are now many simpler alternatives that are just as effective. Of course, you can also use the editing functions of your smartphone or tablet.

Most devices now have an integrated photo editor that offers all the basic functions such as cropping, rotating and resizing, and there are numerous apps that offer a wide variety of filters.

If you want to take professional-looking photos yourself, you don't necessarily need expensive equipment. With a few simple tips and the right settings, even beginners can achieve great results.

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor, and passionate blogger in the fields of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Graduated with a degree in web design from university (2008). Further developed creative techniques through courses in freehand drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market gained through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with key players and institutions in the arts and culture sector.

www.kunstplaza.de