Photo journaling is a great way to learn how to take better photos. It helps you get out of your comfort zone, and forces you to shoot a wider variety of subjects. In this article I’ll show you how to start your own photo journal and how it can help you become a better photographer.
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What Is Photo Journaling?
Photo journaling is the process of taking pictures of anything that catches your eye. The only rule is that you must use your phone or camera to capture it. You can use this technique at home, at work, on vacation or anywhere else you go.
The idea behind photo journaling is simple: by taking pictures of everything around you, you’re going to develop an eye for composition, lighting and subject matter — which are all essential elements in creating great images.
What photojournaling does
As well as being a way to record special events, photojournaling allows you to capture everyday moments, both indoors and outdoors, which can be shared online and shared with family and friends. This gives you more freedom to use your camera as a tool for making art rather than just documenting the world around you.
Photo journaling is a great way to develop your photography skills, and it doesn’t have to be complicated.
It’s easy to feel like you need to travel the world, or buy expensive equipment, before you can call yourself a photographer. But it’s also possible to become a great photographer without any of that.
Photojournaling is a simple way to start documenting your life with an eye toward telling stories with your images. The process of recording the details of your day-to-day life can help you become a better photographer by teaching you how to see things more clearly and pay attention to detail in ways that will make you more successful when you’re out shooting photos on location.
The benefits of photo journaling are numerous:
It helps you learn how to take better photos.
It helps you learn more about yourself and your world.
It makes you a better photographer.
Here are some tips for getting started
Pick a topic and stick with it.
If you want to document your travels, do that. If you want to explore an idea or theme, go for it! Choose something that interests you and make sure that it stays interesting over time by rotating through different aspects of the same thing every few months or so (for example: focus on one city in each continent). Try not to get too bogged down in details; sometimes choosing one key aspect of something will allow you to see the bigger picture more clearly than if you try to cover everything at once!
Keep it simple (but not too simple)!
You don’t need a fancy camera or expensive equipment to start photo journaling — just grab your phone or camera, set up your shot and go!
Choose a theme
Pick an overall theme for your photo book and then select photos that fit into that theme. For example, if you’re creating a photo book about your family vacation, use photos that show either all of the members of your family or focus on individual people in different settings throughout the trip (such as at the beach, eating out or shopping).
For example, you could take pictures of your daily activities, the places you visit and the people you meet. You can also choose a single subject or theme for each photo. For example, if you’re taking photos of food, focus on one specific type of food such as desserts or fruits.
Take lots of pictures
The more pictures you take, the more likely they are to include something interesting or unique so make sure to take plenty! You may also want to consider taking more candid shots than posed ones since these often capture better memories than posed ones do.
Take time to plan what photos you want to take before actually taking them
You should do that so that they are consistent with your chosen theme or topic. For example, if you’re taking photos of food but only have snacks in the refrigerator at home, then consider going out for lunch instead so that you can get photos of more interesting foods.
Use different camera settings when taking photographs so that they have different styles and moods.
This will help make sure that the whole process isn’t boring or repetitive since there will be variety in the types of images being taken rather than just one style being used over and over again.
Always take photos in good light
Natural light is always best but if it’s not possible, look for shade or an overcast sky, which will provide even lighting throughout the day. If necessary, use a flash with caution — excessive flash can wash out colors and distort facial features if used incorrectly.
Keep things simple when shooting groups of people or pets
Try not to get too close and focus on one person or pet at a time instead of trying to capture everyone at once from across the room (unless that’s what you want). You’ll end up with more natural looking images that way!
And the last thing: Don’t forget about composition — keep things balanced.