Whether you are out to photograph landscape scenes of Jamaica, the land of wood and water or some portrait shots here’s a few of our photography tips to help you secure you a great photo.
Jamaicans generally love being photographed and will even strike a pose but do ask if they are comfortable first and always ask parents first if you are photographing children. Perhaps bring along some pens or badges as a thank you to the kids.
Grab an early breakfast as the best time to capture water shots is up to four hours after sunrise, especially if you want an empty beach shot as the light is softer and the colours of the water more vibrant. If you don’t make it out of Mockingbird Hill before the golden hour ends, try using spot metering on the beach if your camera has this function as it helps counter a bleached out effect.
Don’t be afraid to ask on recommendations on great spots to photograph, the team and our taxi driver Mr White are always happy to oblige.
More Tips on perfecting the Photos you Take in Jamaica from Photographer Sam Diephuis
1-Clean your lens. Often times we touch the little lens on our cameras or our iPhones and they can become milky looking from the oils on our fingers. If its an iPhone, just use your shirt right before the shot to clean you cleans. If its a point and shoot or fancier camera get some cloth or cleaner from a photography store. They will know just what to give you!
2- Practice working on exposures (too dark or too light). A good exposure can really change the feel of the image a lot. For example, if you are trying to take a picture of someone and they are in the shade and the back ground is in the light, make sure to expose for the subject by pushing on the screen where the subject/object is.
3- Keep your photos simple. Use empty space, keep one subject in the frame. Try not to over complicate the image.
4- Shoot from a low angle or high or put something in front of the subject out of focus. Not always, but often this can give a cool perspective. Plus its fun to get creative!
5- Use a plain background. This will draw the viewers eye towards what you are trying to show.
6- Go up and talk to the subject before you take a picture. Find out a little about them ask some questions and start a little connection. I find that often when I do this people will usually let me take a picture and I can ask them to move somewhere where the lighting is better or change expressions.
7- Move in closer. This is pretty subjective, but often times we have a tendency to stay back from people and not get into the situation. When in doubt, move closer.
8- Move the subject or object off to the side. Moving the subject to the side can really help to enhance the composition.
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