27 Creative Photography Tricks & Hacks to Try in 2024

You need photography tricks to elevate your photo game to the big leagues. What are the three most important things in photography? Some say subject, light and composition. Many claim it’s aperture, shutter and ISO. We know that it’s practice, practice, practice. After all, in the arts, practice makes perfect. 

The best way to practice effectively is by using the following photography tricks, tips and hacks to test out your camera and methods. Use this excellent guide to try out the best hacks and develop your mastery of photography. Whether you’re a pro or just starting out on your phone, these tips are for you.

Jump to Section 

• Photography Tricks for Beginners
• Professional Photography Tricks
• Photography Tricks With a Mobile Phone
• Cool Photography Tricks Using Everyday Objects

Photography Tricks for Beginners

1. Focus On Your Subject

Whether you’re doing portrait photography or landscape photography, ensuring that your subject is in sharp focus is crucial. Whether you're capturing a portrait or a landscape, keeping your main subject in clear focus draws the viewer's attention and enhances the overall impact of the image.

One of the simplest photography tricks is to experiment with different focus settings, such as single-point or continuous focus, which can help you achieve the desired sharpness. 

2. Know Your Camera

Wondering how to learn photography for beginners? Understanding your camera's features and settings is a good place to start. Spend time familiarizing yourself with your camera’s manual, exploring different modes and experimenting with various settings.

This knowledge will empower you to make quick adjustments in different shooting situations and help you get the most out of your equipment, making you more confident and versatile as a photographer.

3. Learn the Rule of Thirds

So, what is the rule of thirds in photography? The rule of thirds is a fundamental composition principle that can transform your photos. Imagine your frame divided into nine equal parts by two horizontal and two vertical lines. Placing your subject along these lines or at their intersections creates a more balanced and engaging composition, making your photos more visually appealing. 

This is one of those photography tricks that encourages you to move away from centering your subjects, adding more interest to your images. Want a neat photography trick? Most cameras can add a grid to the screen helping you to visualize your thirds. Here is our complete guide on mastering the rule of thirds in photography.

4. Shoot During Golden Hour

The soft, warm light during the golden hour — the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset — can make any scene look magical. This natural lighting condition adds a golden hue and creates long shadows, which add depth and dimension to your photos. 

Golden hour light is also more flattering for portraits, softening skin tones and reducing harsh shadows. One of the coolest photography tricks is that, in a studio, you can simulate golden hour with the right lighting equipment. 

5. Avoid Camera Shake

Camera shake can ruin a perfectly composed shot, resulting in blurry images. To minimize this, a good photography trick is to hold your camera steady with both hands, keep your elbows close to your body and use a faster shutter speed if possible. Alternatively, consider using a stable surface to keep your camera steady, especially in low-light situations. If you're shooting handheld in low light, use your camera's image stabilization feature if available.

6. Take Your Time

There’s a big misconception that good photographers must take tons of pictures. Rushing a shot can lead to missed opportunities and mistakes. One of the best ever photography tricks is to take your time to set up your shot, consider your composition and adjust your settings. Patience allows you to observe the scene more closely, capture fleeting moments and experiment with different angles, leading to more thoughtful and creative photos. 

Slowing down also gives you the chance to notice small details that could enhance your image.

7. Practice

Like any other skill, photography improves with practice. Are you curious about how to become a photographer? Practice constantly. Make a habit of taking photos regularly, even if it's just with your phone. Experiment with different genres, from landscapes to street photography, and learn from your mistakes. 

The more you practice, the better you'll understand your camera and develop your unique style. One of the most used photography tricks, and for good reason, is to practice consistently to help refine your technical skills and expand your creative vision.

Professional Photography Tricks

8. Read the Histogram

Reading the histogram is one of the powerful photography tricks you can use to level up your photo game. The histogram shows the tonal range of your photo, from shadows to highlights. Understanding how to read a histogram helps you avoid overexposed or underexposed images and ensures a well-balanced exposure. Use it to make informed adjustments to your camera settings, especially in challenging lighting conditions. 

It's particularly useful in bright sunlight or low light, where your camera's screen may not accurately represent the exposure.

9. Shoot in RAW

Shooting in RAW format preserves all the data captured by your camera's sensor, giving you more flexibility in post-processing. Unlike JPEGs, RAW files allow you to make extensive adjustments to exposure, white balance and color without harming the image quality.

This photography trick is especially useful for professional photographers who want maximum control over their final images, especially when printing images for exhibitions. RAW files are larger and require more storage, but the quality and editing freedom they offer are well worth it.

10. Learn Aperture

Aperture controls the amount of light entering your camera and affects the depth of field in your photos and are measured in f-stops. A wide aperture (small f-number) creates a shallow depth of field, blurring the background and focusing on the subject, while a narrow aperture (large f-number) keeps more of the scene in focus. 

Understanding aperture allows you to create different effects and enhance your compositions. Mastering aperture settings helps you take full advantage of natural light and achieve the desired artistic effect without a ton of post-editing. Practice your mastery of this photography trick using flower photography or other still life. 

11. Shutter Priority Modes

Shutter priority mode lets you control the shutter speed while the camera automatically adjusts the aperture. This mode is useful for capturing fast-moving subjects with a fast shutter speed or creating motion blur with a slower shutter speed. Experimenting with these type of photography tricks helps you learn how different shutter speeds affect the look of your photos. 

Taking images of water at different shutter speeds is a great way to experiment because the water is moving constantly and rapidly. This mode is ideal for sports, wildlife photography and creative motion effects like light trails or silky water.

12. Create Your Own Filters

Customizing your camera settings allows you to adapt quickly to different shooting conditions and styles. Experiment with combinations of aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance to achieve specific effects, then save these as presets.

For example, set up a low-light preset with a higher ISO and slower shutter speed, or a portrait preset with a wide aperture for a shallow depth of field. Having these settings ready enables you to switch seamlessly between scenarios, ensuring consistent results. 

13. Master Editing Tools

Post-processing is an essential skill and one of the top digital photography tricks you will need to learn and master to up your game. Learn to use editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to enhance your photos. There are also some free editing tools available online. Here are some Canva hacks to get you started.

Understanding how to adjust exposure, contrast, color balance and sharpness can elevate your images and bring out their full potential. Don't overdo it, though; aim for a natural, polished look. Familiarity with editing tools also allows you to correct minor flaws and experiment with different styles.

14. Use a Lens Cleaner

Dust and smudges on your lens can degrade image quality. Keep a lens cleaning kit handy, including a blower, a microfiber cloth and lens cleaning solution. Clean your lenses often to ensure they remain in pristine condition, especially before important shoots. A clean lens guarantees sharp, clear images and prevents unwanted artifacts. 

While this may seem like one of the more basic photography tricks, you'll be surprised how many pros forget to clean their lenses. Maintaining clean equipment also extends the life of your lenses and enhances your overall shooting experience. You don’t want a bad photo due to some stray dust.

Photography Tricks With a Mobile Phone

15. Place Subjects Correctly 

Your phone can be one of the best cheap cameras for photography that you already own. Composition is just as important in mobile photography as it is with a DSLR says CNET. Apply the rule of thirds, as discussed, and consider the background and surrounding elements. Position your subject off-center to create a more dynamic image.

Paying attention to how you place your subject within the frame can make a big difference in the quality of your mobile photos. Using leading lines and negative space can further perfect your compositions. One of the best self portrait ideas is to practice placing yourself differently and get a feel of how to move a subject. 

16. Zoom Selectively 

One of the better photography hacks using an iPhone is mastering the zoom. With most smartphones, digital zoom merely crops your image, reducing quality. Instead of zooming in, move closer to your subject to maintain image resolution. Some newer phones with multiple lenses offer optical zoom, which preserves quality.

Knowing when and how to use zoom effectively can result in sharper, more detailed photos. Remember that zooming in may change the depth of focus, making the background blurry. If you're unable to physically move closer, one of the top photography tricks is to crop the photo in post-processing for better results.

17. Learn Manual Phone Controls 

One of the better photography tricks with a phone is manual override. Many smartphones offer manual controls, allowing you to adjust settings like ISO, shutter speed and white balance. Experimenting with these controls can give you more creative freedom and help you capture scenes more accurately.

Learning to use these features can elevate your mobile photography beyond the typical point-and-shoot experience. Plus, manual controls enable you to adapt to different lighting conditions and achieve the exact look you want.

18. Use Flashlights

One of the best photography hacks using an iPhone is to use an external light as an impromptu light source. Use it to illuminate your subject or highlight specific details that your phone’s flash can’t.

Experimenting with different angles and intensities can add depth and interest to your photos, making them stand out. A simple flashlight can also be used as one of the sneakiest photography tricks for creative light painting or to add catchlights in your subject's eyes.

19. Get a Phone Tripod

What is the number one rule of photography? It’s the same as the Boy Scout motto: "Always be prepared." You never know when a great shot could come up! Your phone is probably always on you, so create a shortcut to your phone app so that you can access it as quick as possible. Bring a small, portable tripod that can stabilize your phone, allowing for sharper images, especially in low light or for long exposures. 

A tripod is one of the most basic, yet overlooked photography tricks since it frees your hands for more creative compositions, such as long-exposure shots of moving subjects. Investing in a tripod can significantly improve the quality of your mobile photos. Additionally, a tripod is useful for self-portraits, time-lapse photography and capturing steady video footage. So when you're scouting for the best places to take pictures in NYC at night, for example, you have all you need to capture the frenetic energy. 

20. Join a Photography Club

A photography club allows you to practice photography tricks with a phone or a camera and develop your photography tricks. With photography clubs you get constructive feedback and can learn from others. Engaging with a community can inspire new ideas, challenge you to improve and provide a supportive environment for growth. It's also a great way to stay motivated and discover new perspectives and techniques. If you can't find a club, you can always take a few photography classes near you or online.

Cool Photography Tricks Using Everyday Objects

21. Use a Steam Iron to Add Dramatic Atmosphere 

Have you been wondering how to do photography tricks? Not all special effects you see in photographs are the result of Photoshop. You can make cool photography tricks with a simple steam iron. Simply steam up a room or a small area, and shoot through the steam to add a soft, ethereal quality to your images. Take a torch or your phone to create a light beam among the smoke. 

This trick works great for portrait photography, giving your photos a dreamy, cinematic feel. Adjust the intensity and direction of the steam to achieve different levels of haziness and enhance the mood of your shots.

22. Long-Exposure Fairy Lights

One of the easiest photography tricks at home is creating mesmerizing light trails by using fairy lights in a long-exposure shot. Simply move the lights around in the frame while your camera's shutter is open.

This technique creates beautiful, flowing lines of light, perfect for adding a whimsical touch to your photos. Experiment with different colors and patterns for unique results. You can also incorporate this technique in various settings, such as holiday decorations or outdoor scenes.

23. Use a Hairdryer to Create Breeze 

One of the easiest portrait photography tricks is to use a hairdryer to create a wind effect. This simple trick adds movement and life to your photos, making hair and clothing flow naturally. It's a great way to inject energy into your shots and can be used for both indoor and outdoor sessions. You can also adjust the speed and direction of the airflow to achieve different effects.

24. Use Incense to Create Fake Smoke

Incense sticks can produce a subtle, swirling smoke effect that's perfect for adding mood and atmosphere to your photos. Place them behind your subject and let the smoke waft around them, creating a mysterious or dramatic look.

This is one of the simplest photography tricks as it transforms an ordinary scene into something magical. It’s also a great way to fake a simmering cup of tea or coffee for product photography. 

25. Use a Spray Bottle To Fake Rain

Want one of the coolest photography tricks at home? You can make it rain indoors by using a spray bottle. Mist water onto windows, leaves or even your subject to simulate raindrops. This technique can add a romantic or moody vibe to your photos, making them feel more atmospheric and captivating.

Hot Tip: Adjust the size of the water droplets by varying the spray nozzle settings to achieve different effects, from light drizzles to heavy downpours. You can also use a straw and your thumb to hold water and drip it bit by bit onto the objects.  

26. Create a Shimmer With Out-Of-Focus Glass

Another one of the coolest photography tricks is to place a piece of glass, such as a drinking glass or a glass plate, in front of your lens and move it slightly out of focus. This creates a soft, dreamy shimmer effect in your photos, adding an artistic touch.

You can experiment with different shapes and textures of glass to achieve various looks. Adding a bit of water or smudging the glass can introduce additional distortion and enhance the ethereal quality of your images.

27. Use a strainer for shadow effects

For one of the top creative lighting photography tricks, shine a light through a kitchen strainer to cast patterned shadows on your subject. This technique can produce interesting and unique textures, making your photos stand out. It's a simple yet effective way to play with light and shadows, adding a touch of artistry to your images. Try experimenting with different light angles and distances to achieve various shadow patterns and intensities.

These photography tricks and hacks can transform ordinary shots into extraordinary works of art, showcasing your unique vision and enhancing your photographic skills. If one trick doesn’t work out, don't get stressed. Many of these photography tricks require time and effort to perfect. Remember the secret to great photography is practice, so get out there and get snapping. 

For even more fun photography ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!