10 creative ways to capture professiona l-quality pictures with basic photo kit

Words by: Dan Mold

© Getty

With modern cameras often costing upwards of a couple of thousand pounds or dollars, and many top-flight optics costing the same again, photography can often feel like a pursuit for the well-off. However, in this budget photography feature, we’ll show you that this need not be the case.

While many expensive pieces of camera equipment will undoubtedly be worth the asking price for working professionals, where any edge over the competition is vital, this is not something the everyday amateur or enthusiast photographer should feel restricted by.

Casual shooters might be surprised by how capable even entry-level modern digital cameras are. Over the next few pages, we’ve assembled 10 projects that can be tackled using an entry-level DSLR or mirrorless camera with a kit lens or budget-friendly optics, such as a ‘nifty fifty’ 50mm f/1.8, which generally cost around £100/$100 rather than thousands.

You’ll also learn how to get the most out of your current camera kit, how to shoot macro shots without the need to fork out for a pricey macro lens, take top bird portraits in your local area and change up your portraits without having to break the bank balance.

1 SHARP SCENICS WITH A KIT LENS

These optics are often razor-sharp at middle apertures, making them a fantastic choice for stunning vistas

Kit lenses are surprisingly sharp at medium aperture values, so you should be able to capture as much detail as in this long-exposure shot

© Dan Mold / Future

A kit lens is an optic that comes bundled with cameras that have interchangeable lenses, such as a DSLR or mirrorless model. A typical kit lens is an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, which most brands offer for bodies with a cropped APS-C sensor. The focal length of kit lenses will change depending on the sensor size; for example Panasonic offers a 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens for its Micro Four Thirds bodies.

The purpose of a kit lens is to provide versatility, with a zoom range covering wide-angle to short telephoto. While a kit lens is a jack-of-all-trades, it is a master of just one – sharp shots, as the aperture rating of a kit lens is quite restrictive when it comes capturing a shallow to depth of field. This makes kit lenses best suited to landscapes and street scenes, or other scenarios where a deep depth of field is preferred.

You can bolster sharpness further by shooting from a tripod and enabling the camera’s two-second self-timer to eliminate shake. While image stabilisation is great for handheld shots, switch this off when using a tripod.

If you’ve already upgraded your kit lens, then you can use the replacement optic, but if you are still using the kit lens that was bundled with your camera, you might be surprised at how effective this basic but versatile lens can be when used in the field to shoot scenic photos.

For sharp shots, close the aperture down to f/11 and focus about one-third of the way into the scene. A tripod and 10-stop ND filter are essential accessories that won’t break the bank; they allow long exposures for blurring moving elements like clouds and water

2 SHOOT FOR THE STARS

Wait for sundown and shoot starry skies

© Dan Mold

Just because the sun has set doesn’t mean the fun has to end… there are plenty of possibilities in low light, and these days even entry-level digital cameras are highly capable in low-light situations.