You don’t have to be a professional photographer to capture breathtaking, canvas-worthy pictures. With the following tips under your belt, you’ll be amazed at how easily you can create stunning canvas prints using your own photos!
10 Photography Tips for Creating a Custom Canvas Print
1. Use a Great Camera or Device
We’re not saying you need an iPhone 14 Pro Max to take eye-catching photos. You don’t need a complete photography setup or a super-fancy camera, either. However, you do need a high-quality device to avoid taking pictures that look blurred or pixelated.
Ideally, the resolution of your photos should match the canvas size(s) you’ll be selecting.
2. Keep Your Subject in Focus
Keeping your subject in focus is crucial for creating sharp and clear photos. Most cameras and smartphones will have an “autofocus” feature that can turn your subject into the center of attention.
Shifting the focus to your main subject (be it a person or an object) makes it stand out beautifully on your canvas print!
3. Use the Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds is a well-known composition technique. In photography, the term “composition” refers to the method used to arrange the elements in a photo (like subjects and backgrounds) to create a visually appealing image.
That’s why most cameras feature vertical and horizontal grids – so you can easily apply balance to your canvas prints, drawing the viewer’s eye to the most important elements of your photo.
4. Add Depth
Adding depth to your photos creates a sense of dimension, making them more engaging and drawing the viewer into the image. Include interesting elements or subjects in the foreground (the part that’s closest to the camera) in your composition, and notice how captivating it becomes!
5. Move Around!
Avoid staying fixed in one spot when capturing your photos. Have fun with the process! Move around, change your angles, and try different perspectives. In the end, you’ll have multiple shot options to choose from when selecting canvas-worthy photos. A number of similar pictures makes for an amazing canvas bundle or collage.
6. Play with Close Up vs. Far Away Subjects
Close-up shots reveal the smallest, finest details, capturing a subject’s essence. Distant shots, on the other hand, showcase the scene’s scale, which is especially interesting for landscape shots. Play with different perspectives for versatile and stunning canvas prints.
7. Make the Most Out of Great Lighting
The key is to seek out natural light whenever possible. Steer clear from direct sunlight and overhead lighting, as they can create unflattering shadows and overexpose colors. If you can get photos during the sunset’s “golden hour”, your photos will get a natural, yet magical touch of warmth.
8. Blur Up the Background
Ever heard of “bokeh”? It’s that beautiful blurry effect you see in the background of some pictures, especially when it’s deliberately created by a specific lens. Most phones and cameras have special features like “Portrait Mode” that can automatically blur the background for you.
It’s the ideal technique to capture your subject in sharp focus, and it works wonders for portraits and close-up shots.
9. Capture Movement
Adding a sense of movement to your photos can bring your canvas prints to life. Whether it’s your child in motion, ocean waves, or cars driving by, “moving” images tell stunning stories. You can create a mesmerizing sense of motion using a camera or your phone: just activate burst mode for a multi-shot image sequence. You won’t miss a beat!
(If you have an iPhone, you can also turn on the “Live Photos” feature at the top of your camera screen to capture a mini-video. That way, you can scroll through to select the best frames after you’re done.)
10. Take Multiple Photos
Don’t hesitate to take multiple shots of the same subject or scene. This allows you to choose the best photo later during the selection process. So take your time, as the perfect shot may be just a few snaps away.
When in Doubt, Go With Your Gut
Photography is an art and a skill, but sometimes your intuition (or “gut”) knows best. You know yourself and your space the best, so trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to try new things. Embrace your creativity and let your inner photographer be your guide!
Next, Edit Your Photo. Or Don’t!
You could use the filters already available in your phone or camera – or even tools like Canva and Photoshop – to edit your own photos to your liking.
However, if you’re not editing-savvy, you can leave the touch-ups to the experts.
Depending on where you’ll be ordering your canvas prints, you may have enhancement options available. At CanvasPeople, we offer three photo enhancement options:
Basic Photo Enhancement: Our artists will use professional techniques to balance the color and lighting of your photo.
Standard Photo Enhancement: On top of the Basic Photo Enhancement, our artists will also remove red eyes, time stamps, and correctly center your image on the canvas.
Advanced Photo Remastering: In addition to all the features offered in the Standard Photo Enhancement, our artists will also sharpen the definition of your images, smooth the skin of subjects, remove blemishes, and whiten any smiles showing in your photo.
Finally, Put Your Photo(s) on a Canvas Print
You got the perfect shots. Now, it’s time to get them printed.
The process to create your canvas is ridiculously simple:
- On CanvasPeople’s website, click “create your canvas“
- Next, choose from our multiple canvas sizes and options to fit one or multiple shots. If you’ve followed our tips and took plenty of photos, you just might want to print more than one.
- Upload or import your desired photos
- Choose border wrap options, add effects, frames, and more to enhance your photo even further. Or leave it as is!
- Place your order, and you’re all set.
You can rest assured that your hard work wasn’t in vain: our canvases are printed using high-quality, environmentally friendly inks that create sharp and vibrant prints that will last for years.
Now that you’re armed with new photography skills, grab your camera or smartphone, head out, and capture your picture-perfect moments. There’s a world of canvases just waiting to be filled with your photos!
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