We all WANT to take great pictures, but let’s face it, not everyone knows how. Some people are downright intimidated by cameras. They do seem rather complicated at first, don’t they?
EVERYONE can take great photos. It doesn’t take a super charged top of the line all the bells and whistles camera to do it either. The key to taking great photos is composition, first and foremost, at least that’s my opinion. So you see a great photo. You know it’s a great photo. But do you know WHY it’s a great photo? Well, that’s kind of relative. In my opinion, what makes a photo truly great is that it tells a story. That may not be what makes a great photo in your eyes though. When you’re taking pictures of your family, and your life, all that truly matters is that YOU love it. There are a few tips though, that can help you love your photos even more.
1.Look your subject in the eye.
Ok, generally this is a no-no, because of red eye, and all of that. Red Eye is easily fixed in photo editing software, but you can also adjust your angle some. If you’re dealing with a subject that can take direction, have them look at something just slightly above the camera…like the top of your head 😉 Seriously though, a photo where you are looking the subject in the eye is much more engaging to the viewer of the photo.
2. Use a plain background.
This doesn’t mean you need to take all of your pictures against a sheet or a backdrop, but try not to have too much going on in the background of your photo. Zoom in on your subject, fill the frame with them. Try photographing with a group of trees in the background, or a bush, or the ocean…whatever is handy, but try and cut extra people, cars, etc out of the frame.
3.Use a flash outside
Yes, you can use your flash outside. Even if it’s a bright sunny day. In fact, if you’re shooting at one of those “bad” times of day, like high noon, USE your flash. A fill flash will help to prevent harsh photos with a lot of shadows.
4.Move in close
Whether you zoom with your lens or zoom with your feet, move in close to your subject. Forget digital zoom….don’t do it…just get up and “zoom” by physically moving in closer. Fill the frame with your subject. This will help to make the photo more interesting, and help accomplish step number two.
5.Move away from the middle
When you are photographing say, a skyline, a sunset, a light house, a tree, or something along those lines, don’t place hard lines across or down the middle of your photo. Refer to the “rule of thirds”
6. Lock your focus
Accomplishing step five can be difficult if you don’t know how to lock the focus on your camera. Most cameras simply focus on whatever is in the center of the photo. You can either switch to manual focus, or you can use a focus lock. In most cameras, it’s as simple as one two three. One-center your subject and press the shutter release button halfway down, allowing the camera to focus. Two-move the camera, still holding the shutter release halfway down, to a place where your subject is off centered. Three-depress the shutter release all the way down to take the picture.