I know a lot of people who say they can’t take good pictures. By observing them, I’ve noticed two things. One, they seem to be intimidated by their cameras and two, they snap without thinking.
My first advice is to read the manual. This might sound oversimplified, but many skim through the quick start-up guides that come with the camera, but they never get to know what all the buttons do. This leaves them holding their camera almost at arms length and afraid of pressing anything but the shutter button. By getting to know your camera, you will feel more comfortable holding and using it.
The next thing I tell them is to slow down and really see what is in the viewfinder. Don’t aimlessly press the shutter button. By taking a few extra moments and thinking about the composition of the photo, your shots will be better without doing much else.
Here are a dozen suggestions for taking your snap shots to the next level!
1.) Get a little closer
Use your zoom or take a step or 2 closer to the action. This helps bring the focus
to your subject by eliminating distracting background action.
2.) Get down, Get Vertical
Change your perspective. Shooting kids? Get down to their level. Have a large
group? Try shooting from above. Don’t forget to turn your camera now and then
for a different composition. Take vertical shots and even a few at a slight angle
for interest.
3.) Look before clicking
Check the background for distracting elements. Is there a tree coming out of your
subject’s head? Is that a laundry basket sitting on the counter in the background?
4.) Think ‘Tic Tac Toe’
When composing your shot, don’t automatically put your subject in the center of the view finder – this can lead to a boring or flat composition. Imagine a tic tac toe board and position your subject at one of the intersecting points. Think “upper left, lower right, etc.” This will add more interest to your shots.
5.) Get out of the shadows – use your flash outdoors
Shooting on a bright sunny day? Take a moment to look at your subjects before clicking. Are there any dark shadows falling on their faces? Reposition yourself or your subject. Also, if you have a lot of bright, direct sunlight, using your fill-flash will help even out the lighting.
6.) Know your flash
On camera flashes can be most unflattering and not very useful if used at the wrong time. Know the limits of your flash. If you’re too far outside the limits, your subject will be too dark. Too close, then your subject will be too washed out.
7.) Let there be natural light – turn off the flash!
When at all possible, turn off the flash. Natural lighting is much more flattering. Shoot in the “golden light” of early morning or late in the day. Avoid the direct light of mid-day. Overcast days are great for getting the perfect portraits. Position your subjects near a window, shoot on a porch with an overhang or even in the garage near the entrance. Turn on all light in a room and try shooting without flash. If you can slow your shutter speed, try that, but you may need a tripod to avoid blur.
8.) Get in the ‘creative zone’
Many cameras come with several “creative” shooting modes such as action, night, close-up, landscape and portrait. Try them out – as they remove much of the guesswork! With night mode, you may want a tri-pod. Slower shutter speeds can equal blurry photos if the camera isn’t perfectly still.
9.) Size matters
Take the largest file size that your camera allows. While you can always shrink the file size later, you can’t go the other way.
10.) Walk the line, be a framer
When composing photos, look for interesting lines (a road, stream, etc.), textures and interesting frames (doorways, windows, etc.) for your subject. This will result in visually pleasing compositions and may assist in leading the eye through the photo.
11.) Take more photos, risks and experiment
In today’s digital photo age, there is nothing to lose. You can preview your
results without paying for prints and you can always delete your bad shots as you
go!
12.) Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Learn from the pros. Read photography books and blogs for tips, composition ideas and more. You can also take classes online! Here are some of my favorite books:
• The Joy of Digital Photography – Jeff Wignall
• Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera – Bryan Peterson
• Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent (Photo Workshop) - Ginny Felch and Allison Tyler Jones
• Expressions: Your Behind the Camera Guide to Taking Extraordinary Photos of Ordinary Life – Donna Smylie and Allison Tyler Jones
• How to Photograph Your Baby – Nick Kelsh
• National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures – Peter Burian and Bob Caputo
Web sites
• www.betterphoto.com
• www.photo.net
• www.flickr.com
• www.photojojo.com
Photo Challenge - try taking a photo a day for a month. Using your camera daily is a sure way to help you get familiar with it. The more photos you take with the above tips in mind the more likely you will be able to take your photos from ordinary to something more!