Top 10 Beginning Photography Tips

Tip #1: Check The Lighting
The word "photography" comes from two Greek words meaning "light" and "painting". Without light, there's no picture. If the lighting isn't good, the picture isn't either.

Avoid shooting in the middle of the day. Light coming from directly overhead can accentuate every wrinkle on a face, whereas light coming from the side or slightly below may lessen them. If you have no choice, bring your subjects into the shade. Otherwise, try to shoot early in the morning or toward sunset for the best light.

Tip #2: Hold Steady
To avoid camera shake, hold the camera securely in both hands. Use your elbows to create a virtual tripod by keeping them against your body. If you're kneeling or sitting, place them on your knees.

Use a tripod if you can. No matter how steady your hands are, a tripod is steadier. You can find compact and lightweight models that will fit in your purse or pocket.

Tip #3: Focus On Your Subject
Unless you have a setting to do otherwise, your camera's autofocus targets whatever is in the middle of the frame. If your subject is elsewhere, position it in the center of the frame temporarily, then press the shutter release button halfway down. This locks the autofocus on your subject.

Then, while holding the button halfway down, reposition your subject as desired in your composition, hold your breath and squeeze the button the rest of the way.

Tip #4: Avoid Centering Your Subject
Positioning your subject in the middle of the frame can make your photo static and uninteresting. Instead, think of the frame as a tic-tac-toe grid and place your subject in one of the intersections of lines. This is known as the "Rule Of Thirds" a design principle dating back to the Greeks that is the oldest trick in the book for making your images more compelling.

Tip #5: Minimize Dead Space
Fill the frame with your subjects. This makes it about them and removes elements that can distract the viewer's eye from what you are trying to communicate with the photo.

Tip #6: Shoot At Eye Level
"The eyes are the mirror of the soul," as the saying goes, and capturing them at this angle gives the shot a more personal, inviting feeling, even if the subject isn't looking into the camera.

If your subject is shorter than you are, crouch down so that you can achieve this. If much taller, use a step stool or a ladder. With kids and pets, this means kneeling, sitting or lying down to get to their level. It may be hard on your back, but the result are worth it!

By the way, there's nothing more annoying to your viewer than blurred eyes. If your subject has eyes, make sure you light them well and shoot them sharp.

Tip #7: Check For Background Clutter
Before snapping the shutter, get in the habit of moving your eye around the frame, from corner to corner, to make sure there aren't any distracting elements. If your background is too busy, or if your viewers have to work hard to pick your subject out of the background, they will most likely lose interest in your photograph and move on.

Watch for distractions immediately behind your subjects as well, like trees or poles sprouting out of people's heads.

Tip #8: Crop In The Camera, Not In Software
Unlike working with film, cropping a digital image using software results in a loss of pixels-i.e., they are actually thrown away. So if you crop half of an image taken by an 8 megapixel camera, you end up with only 4 megapixels when you're done.

Move in closer and fill the frame with all the elements you want, and leave out anything you don't want. Make use of all those pixels.

"Tip #9: Turn It Sideways And Take Another Shot
More often than not, your subject and scene will naturally dictate whether your shot should be a horizontal or vertical. But you never know. Sometimes the other way works too. A good practice is to shoot it both ways. You may not see what actually works best until you look at the image later.

Tip #10: Use Fill Flash
Fill flash is a wedding photographer's secret weapon. Bright sunlight can cause deep, unflattering shadows under the eyes and other facial features, especially if the sun is directly overhead.

When you set your flash to "fill" mode (consult your manual for your camera's actual setting), the camera exposes for the background first, then adds just enough light to expose your subject in front of it. The result is a professional looking shot where everything is lit beautifully.