10 Things that Will Make You a Better Photographer – Guaranteed

1.  Rotate your camera.  If you subject is mostly vertical, turn your camera 90 degrees.  This will create a vertical

Rotate the camera to make a vertical composition

photograph that makes you subject more prominent.

2.  Move in closer.  Standing too far away from your subject diminishes the impact of your photograph.

3.  Use the “Rule of Thirds.”  Avoid putting your subject in the dead center of your image.

 If you divide the image re into

Avoid "centering," create interest

thirds horizontally and vertically, placing your subject close to the intersection of the lines creates a far more interesting photography.

4.  Take lots of photos.  With digital photography, there is no reason to take only one of two shots.  Especially when you have people in the photo, take several of the same pose.  You will be surprised to see that there are small differences

Taking several shots can "capture the moment"

that will make one of these the “keeper.”  Delete the rest.  Also, often great photographs "capture the moment" and taking multiple shots will let you select that moment.

5.  Move.  Do not stay in the same place and fire off a bunch of shots.  Move closer and move from side to side.  If you have a series of photographs and they are all from the same spot, with the same background, they will be boring.

6.  Watch the background.  Even a well-composed photograph can be made worthless if there are poles or

Contrasting, soft background enhances subject

trees coming out of the subject’s head.  Try to find a neutral, uncluttered background where the contrast of that background and the subject will make the subject “pop.”  Also, avoid having the sun or extreme brightness behind your subject.

7.  Hold steady.  A blurry photograph is usually not what you want.  Hold your camera steady.  Practice pushing your camera’s shutter button with a smooth, steady pressure.  Sometimes you will need to consider a camera support such as a tripod or monopod.

8.  Shoot at the proper level & angle.  Bend down if your subject is lower, such as a child or a pet.  Shooting at an extreme angle of up or down can be an effect you want, but

Bend down

in most cases, get to the eye level of a subject.

9.  Use lines, angles, and framing.  Lines and angles are powerful visual elements; they can direct the viewer’s eye to

Opening in wall as a frame

your subject.  Also, consider suing some element of the environment to frame a photo.  For example, a bit of a tree branch can make the subject stand out and have perspective.

10.  Learn as much as you can about your camera.  Even the simple “point and shoot” models have controls that will make you a better photographer if you know how to use them.  One example is ISO setting.  This lets you adjust the sensitivity of your camera to light.

Try these ides and see what people say about your talents as a photographer!