10 Basic Tips

It only takes a few simple, yet practical techniques to help any photographer achieve more pleasing picture taking results.	Practice these 10 ideas and compare the results with each picture taking experience.
1. Keep Your Camera Ready - with a camera handy, you have a better chance of capturing those special moments and once-in-a-lifetime pictures.
2. Get Close - As a general rule, the closer you get to the subject, the better your pictures will be. Getting close eliminates distracting, unnecessary backgrounds and shows the subject clearly. Getting close may also mean using an effective foreground to frame the main subject or enhance the view.
3. Hold Your Camera Steady - Holding the camera steady is vital for sharp, clear pictures. Even slight camera movement can blur pictures. Pressing the shutter release smoothly and gradually and using a brace as a steady-rest will reduce body movement. Using a tripod will eliminate camera movement for the sharpest pictures.
4. Use A Simple Background - A simple background focuses attention on the subject and makes clear, strong pictures. An additional technique for simplifying the background involves using large lens openings (small f numbers) which makes it easy to render the background out of focus for a simpler background. Telephoto lenses also make it easy to have a sharp foreground and out of focus background.
5. Place The Subject Off-Center - Usually, placing the subject off-center can make the composition more dynamic and interesting to the eye. Take a look at my suggestions for composing pictures (Composing Tips) for some helpful ideas that might improve your pictures.
6. Include Foreground In Scenics - Elements in the foreground add a sense of distance, depth, and dimension.
7. Look For Good Lighting - Good lighting can make your pictures more interesting, colorful, dimensional, and flattering to the subject. Overcast days often provide the best lighting for pictures of people. The soft light of an overcast day usually flatters facial features.
9. Use Your Flash - Flash provides extra light when you need it, especially indoors, and it freezes action for sharp pictures. Using flash outdoors can soften shadows and brighten colors. It is important to use flash within the range it was designed to illuminate. In most cases basic flash units will give good results between 4-12 feet of the subject. Using a flash to illuminate a large scene will only bring giggles from those around you. See your flash manual for distance information.
10. Keep People Busy - To avoid stiff, static poses, prompt your subjects to be active. Their expressions will be more relaxed and natural.
11. Choosing the best Sensitivity or ISO Setting: Digital cameras apply sensitivity settings in a similar way to conventional film camera ISO ratings. Generally, lower ISO settings on a digital camera will produce the sharpest image results and higher settings lower image quality. New digital camera technology continues to enhance image quality at all ISO settings, so you may enjoy very good results at even high ISO settings. Experiment with various settings to discover what works best in different situations. Of course, low ISO settings make holding the camera steady more challenging in low light conditions since slower shutter speeds and wider lens openings become necessary to compensate for the lower ISO sensitivity setting. A tripod will aide nicely in eliminating camera 'jiggle' problems. Film Cameras - Choose The Right Film - Selecting the correct film relates to the type of film, i.e., Color or Black & White as well as the relative sensitivity of a particular film. With the film type resolved, film speed remains as an important consideration. Film speed or sensitivity determines the basis for properly setting the lens opening and shutter speed. Slower film, lower ISO rating requires more light to achieve a proper exposure than a higher ISO rated film. Slower films generally offer higher image quality while high ISO rated films allow proper exposure under darker conditions.

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