Photography Tips from a Teen
Marshall Canupp is a photographer and new high school graduate “who truly just likes photography, trains, and nature.”
Marshall is from Harrison County, KY and has received recognition for his photography. A photo he took in honor of those who died of COVID-19 — a Cynthiana city sign spotlit in green (below) — was featured in one of Gov. Beshear’s press conferences. A photo he shot of a heritage steam locomotive was named the 2019 Kentucky 4-H Grand Champion in photography (above).
Marshall’s photo tips for students:
- Do as much work as needed to get the photo the way you want it when you’re shooting it instead of trying to fix it later in editing software. It saves time!
- In a portrait, eyes are a natural focal point for a human or an animal, so use that to your advantage.
- The best camera you have is the one that’s on you. Always have your camera with you so that you don’t miss any good shots.
- A really easy way to experiment with your photo is to look at it in black and white. It’s also super easy to switch something to black and white, and if you don’t like it just switch it back to color!
- Never delete photos in-camera! What you see on the small screen isn’t really what the photo may look like; you will only see how good the photo is until you look at it on a decent screen, such as a phone or computer.
- Get inspiration, not style: I like to look at other photographers’ work and see their techniques and editing styles, but I never want to copy them. They have their style, I have mine. The same goes for you. Find your own style.