In The Picture

..the photography blog

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

How To Take Better Pictures Using Your Digital Camera

Cameras make picture taking a lot easier nowadays. But would you like to make those photos go from acceptable to great? Here are some tips to help you improve your craft.

take-better-pictures.jpg1. Always be aware of the background. A passing vehicle could draw attention from your subject. Likewise, you wouldn’t want to find trees growing out of people’s heads. Sometimes moving your subject just a few steps to either side can make all the difference.

2. Use available light. If your digital camera has an option to turn the flash off and you think there’s enough light outside to read a book then turn your flash off and use the available light. Camera flashes could be too harsh for human skin and make all of us look pale. Indoors and where there isn’t enough daylight, you should place your subject near the window and use your fill flash feature.

3. Aim your camera slightly below the person’s face. Don’t shoot just face on to the person. Try to shoot a little to the side, a three quarter view, so that you see more of their face. This technique will slim your subject.

4. Remember your focus and get closer to your subject. Fill the frame with your subject and there will be no doubt as to what your picture is saying.

5. Never put your subject dead center. Put it just slightly off center, not a lot. If you’re shooting groups of people, find the imaginary center line of your group and put that line just a bit off center in your view through your screen or lens.

These tips won’t turn you into an award-winning photographer today but these will definitely help you come up with better and more powerful photographs which others will comment on for years to come.