 In the last few years digital cameras have gone from being expensive and taking
bad pictures to inexpensive and taking high quality pictures. Now we just need
to learn how to take great pictures.
- Move close to your subject. Most people prefer to capture the entire person
in the picture. While this may be great for taking a picture of a bridge or
skyline, it makes for boring pictures of people.
If you move close to your
subject you'll have a good chance of taking some rather interesting pictures.
And don't be afraid to crop part of the
subject out of the picture for added visual interest.
- Get lower or higher than your subject. Depending on the subject, getting
lower or higher makes for a much better picture, especially with children. If
you're looking down on someone and taking their picture, you're picture will
lack depth of field. By getting down on a knee and looking them right in the eye
your picture will direct the eye of the viewer toward the subject.
- Don't be afraid to direct. People naturally stand near each other for
pictures. This is great for family portraits, but people need to be coached, or
directed. Imagine yourself as a movie director and you need to get your subjects
into interesting poses, near an interesting background, away from telephone
poles, etc. Make sure that the car isn't in the background and the dog is
pooping on the lawn. That last bit is from personal experience!
- Use flash outside. When taking pictures in bright sunlight, the flash on your
camera can act as "fill flash". This will brighten the faces and shaded spots of
your subject. This is especially important if you're subject is wearing a hat or
standing in the shade.
- Manage the light. If you know that you're going to be taking pictures, try to
schedule the photos to be taken during early morning or late afternoon. These
times during the day don't have harsh overhead light that casts dark shadows.
Also make sure your subjects are partially in the shade, wearing sunglasses or
blocking the sun with a tree, hat, umbrella or building. If you're taking a
picture in the sun it should not be directly overhead unless it is a cloudy or
overcast day.
Once I finally learned how to take great pictures, my friends and family started
noticing and commenting on how great they look in the pictures. I didn't have
the heart to tell them that a great setup and preparation makes great pictures,
no matter what you normally look like!
About the author: Ivan A Cuxeva is a writer and photography enthusiast.
If you're looking for a great company to buy your digital pictures from, he
highly
recommends Snapfish
due to the crispness and high quality of their images.
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