Tips for taking great photographs

Get down on their level

• Hold your camera at the subject’s eye level. The subject doesn’t need to look directly into the camera; the eye level angle by itself will create a personal and inviting feeling.

Use plain background

• Before taking a picture, check the area behind your subject.
• Lookout for trees or poles sprouting from your subject’s head.
• A cluttered background will be distracting while a plain background will emphasize your subject.

Use flash outdoors

• Use it in bright sunlight to lighten dark shadows under the eyes and nose, especially when the sun is directly overhead or behind your subject.
• Use it on cloudy days, to brighten up faces and make them stand out from the background.

Move in close

• To create impactful pictures, move in close and fill your picture with the subject.
• Move a few steps closer or use the zoom until the subject fills the view/finder. You will eliminate background distractions and show off the details in your subject.
• For small objects, use the camera’s macro or ‘flower’ mode to get sharp close-ups.

Take some vertical pictures

• Many subjects look better in a vertical picture – from the Eiffel Tower to portraits of your friends.
• Make a conscious effort to turn your camera sideways and take some vertical pictures.

Lock the focus

• Lock the focus to create a sharp picture of off centre subjects

Move it from the middle

• Bring your picture to life by placing the subject off centre
• Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid and place the subject at one of the intersecting lines.

Watch the light

• Study the effects of light in your pictures.
• For people pictures, choose the soft lighting of a cloudy days. Avoid overhead sunlight that casts harsh shadows across faces.
• For scenic pictures, use the long shadows and colour of early and late daylight.

Be a picture director

• Take an extra minute and become a picture director, not just a passive picture-taker.
• Add some props, rearrange your subjects, or try a different viewpoint.
• Bring your subjects together and let their personalities shine. Then watch your pictures dramatically improve.