Although photo editing software can do wonders when fixing mistakes to improve your photographs, there is no substitute for a perfect photo. Below are a few tips that can help you become the photographer you have always wanted to be.
1. Watch your background
Sometimes the background is more important to a photo's composition than the foreground, or center of attention. Keep the background simple so the main image stands out easily. Make sure there are no distracting elements like poles or trees sticking through someone's head.
2. Go outdoors if possible
In almost all cases, natural sunlight produces better photo lighting results. Skin color is natural and unaffected by the strange colors generated from artificial lighting. Using a flash indoors also creates a harsh contrast causing faces to be washed out or too light with a vague, dark background.
3. Use a flash outdoors
Bright sun can create dark shadows, especially around faces. Set your flash to fire outdoors if possible to eliminate the shadows and bring your subject into harmony with the sunny, well-lit background.
4. Know your camera. Experiment
Every camera is different. Flash ranges and focus depths may vary. Experiment by taking the same shot several different ways. Try shooting with a flash, without a flash, 5 feet away, 10 feet away or close up. Get to know your camera's strengths and limitations and eventually you'll be able to select the best circumstances for a given shot intuitively.
5. Move in close, (but not too close)
Aunt Bertha may think your camera is too close for comfort, but the most interesting photos are ones where subtle details are brought to life. Facial expressions can't be seen from a distance. You will also get better lighting results with close-up shots. But if your pictures turn out blurry, you are too close. Again, get to know your own camera's optimal focus depth.
6. Move the subject slightly off center
Resist the temptation to make every subject stand like a totem pole in the center of your picture; this gets boring. If you were to divide a square photo into a grid like a tic-tac-toe game, the main focal points should be where the lines cross around the center square. Even if the background isn't the goal, interesting lines offset behind a subject can make a more interesting photo.
7. Learn when to take vertical pictures
With a little practice, switching from horizontal to vertical will come naturally. If the subject you are shooting is taller than it is wide, turn your camera 90 degrees to maximize the area of the subject in your camera viewfinder.
8. Not everyone likes "Cheesy smiles."
Candid shots are usually better than the results you get when everyone says: "Cheese." Forced smiles look, well, forced. But if you must warn your audience to gain their attention, try something a more unusual than "say cheese" and you might get a candid laugh after all. Save your best jokes for the time you spend behind the lens and see if you can get your audience to smile the old-fashioned way.
9. Be aware of your surroundings
Before you snap the shot, watch for things that might indirectly affect your picture. If there is glass or a reflective surface behind your subject, shoot at a slight angle when using a flash. And don't aim your camera straight at the sun (unless you are properly set up to take photos during a full eclipse).
10. Take lots of pictures
The greatest benefit of digital photography is the ability to take hundreds of photos without paying an extra penny for developing. Simply transfer your images to a PC when your camera card is full and keep on snapping. You can always delete images you don't want later. And, with new software capabilities, you can even combine the best parts of multiple photos for an original work of art.
