10 Steps To Better Photos

Some universal tips to help you take better photographs.

1. Get down to their level! When taking a picture of a person or pet, get down to the subject's eye level. This doesn't mean that the subject has to be looking at the camera, but by being at eye level with the subject, the viewer is drawn into the picture.

2. Don't be shy - get a little closer! Fill the frame with your subject, unless the background is important to the story of the photo. But be careful not to get too close or your photo will be blurry. The closest focusing distance for most point and shoot cameras, and even SLR's unless you are using a macro mode or lens, is 3 feet. Check your camera manual to be sure.

3. Avoid distracting backgrounds! When you are composing your shot, take time to notice your background as well as the subject. Is there anything protruding out of Aunt Millie's head? Can you change the angle to make your subject stronger and the background less intrusive?

4. Apply the rule of thirds! Most people tend to center the subject in the view finder. Bring new life to your photos by imagining a tic-tac-toe grid in your viewfinder. Place your subject on one of the intersections of the lines - thus the rule of thirds. You will need to lock focus if you have an auto focus camera, if you place your subject in the rule of thirds grid. (See tip number 5). Most auto focus cameras expect the main subject to be in the center of the picture and the auto focus registers there.

5. Stay in (locked) focus! If your subject is not in the center of your photo, you will need to lock the focus of your auto focus camera. Check your camera manual, but most auto focus cameras will lock the focus when the shutter button is depressed half way down. To lock focus - center your subject in your viewfinder. Press your shutter button halfway down to lock focus on your subject. Without lifting your finger from the shutter button and without changing your distance from the subject, recompose your shot in the viewfinder so the subject is off center, preferably on the rule of thirds grid. Finally, press the shutter button the rest of the way down to take your photo.

6. Know the range of your flash! Nothing is more disappointing than getting a photo back that would have been a great shot, but it came out dark because the flash didn't cover the area of the subjects. Likewise, a photo can be overexposed (too light) if you are too close to the subject when the flash fires. Look at your camera manual for your flash range. Most point and shoot cameras have a flash range of 3 to 15 feet.

7.Flash 'em outdoors! No, no, no.... not THAT kind of flashing! Bright sunlight can create harsh shadows on any subject. If the sun is behind your subject, it will trick your camera's meter into thinking that the scene is brighter then it is, resulting in an under-exposed (dark) subject and a properly exposed background. You can use your flash on sunny days to eliminate these issues. Some cameras have a fill flash option, which tells the flash to use a lower power level output than normal, so that your photo won't be washed out. If your subject is closer than 5 feet, fill flash mode is a good choice. If it is farther away than 5 feet, use the regular full flash mode to ensure coverage. On a cloudy day, flash can be used to brighten a subject's face and add "catch lights" (those little round sparkly things) in your subject's eyes. Although, the nice diffused lighting of a cloudy day is usually beautiful portrait lighting and is preferred over a bright sunny day by most photographers. You can also use a white poster board as a reflector to bounce some fill light on to your subject, if you are unable or don't want to use your flash outdoors. Angle the board so that it is out of the frame of the photo and so that it is bouncing a soft light onto your subject.

8. Watch the light! Light is the most important element of your photo, next to your subject. Light controls the mood of a photo as much as any other factor. Look at where the light hitting your subject is coming from before you snap. Move your subject or your angle to the subject if the lighting is not flattering or accomplishing what you want it to do. A subject squinting in the bright sunlight can be moved into the nice diffused light under the shade of a tree, and fill flash used to brighten the face and place catch lights in the eyes that we talked about in tip number 7. Side lighting is a very dramatic effect, especially in black and white photography. Outdoor photos are best shot before 10am or after 2pm. Light between 10am and 2pm, even on cloudy days, comes from almost directly above and will cause harsh shadows. Morning light is cool, with bluish tones. Evening light is warm, with orange tones. Knowing what time of day to shoot can help you tell your story.

9. Turn your camera on its side! We tend to take more horizontal photos because that is the way that the camera fits in our hands. Turn your camera vertically and see how different subjects take on new looks with this composition.

10. Be a director! Don't be afraid to talk to your subjects to get them in the positions and under the lighting that you want. This makes a photograph versus a snapshot. Don't have your subjects say the usual "cheese!” You will almost always get that forced "cheesy" smile. I count to 3 and have all my subjects say at the same time, a funny word that ends in the long "e" sound.. like "monkey", "puppy", "stinky" (usually the boys' favorite! LOL!). Not every photo has to be a "facing the camera and smiling" shot. Experiment with different expressions on your subjects' faces, both looking at the camera and looking away. True candids where the subject is unaware that they are being photographed can very compelling and are often more pleasing than posed shots.

Example #1:

This is the original shot of a squirrel trying to get some breakfast during a blizzard.

After reviewing the picture, I decided that a closer shot would be more effective.

As you can see, I applied a couple of our tips here:

Tip#1 - I brought the picture to the squirrel's eye level.

Tip #2 - I got in closer.

Tip #3 - by recomposing, I got rid of the distracting background (the house).

Tip #4 - Rule of thirds & Tip #9 (although, in this case, I cropped the photo horizontally when the original was vertical). The original picture had the rule of thirds applied somewhat, but in cropping the picture and making it horizontal, the rule of thirds really makes a strong composition here.

Example #2:

Although the water provided some light fill on DD's face, there are still harsh shadows present.

The photo would have been better if I had used fill flash to eliminate the shadows and create catch lights in her eyes as I did in this one. (Please ignore the chocolate on her face! LOL!)

Example #3:

This photo could have been better, if I had noticed the open doorway with the people in it and the side of the curio cabinet coming out of DD's head and moved myself to a new angle.

Here, a nice clean background really shows off a special moment between DD and Auntie!

As with everything, practice is the key. But remember, even the professional average is that one out of every ten photos taken will come out with the perfect exposure, composition and focus. So don't get discouraged and have fun!