Simple Tips Will Improve Your Photos

Shot with an iPhone, this photo tells a story.

Do your photographs suck, as per  http://bit.ly/wZv5iO? Some of mine do, but many others do not.

So do you keep your photos from not being bad, horrible or even worse, “what a load of (insert expletive here)?”

Start by getting an idea of what you want to shoot and why before you go. Do you have the right equipment? When is the best time to arrive so I get the type of light I want? What is the weather forecast for that day?

Doing some research means you will arrive at the coast in time to set up your sunset photo so you can find the perfect perch before the sun goes down … instead of after it’s started.

Research is one critical step to help get good photos, but it is secondary to the single most important one: composition.

The best lighting is often what is available at the scene, if you like natural light and color. Some photographers prefer to bring reflectors and multiple flash units. However, many people lack that equipment.

These same restrictions apply to precise exposure control and lens selection: you have what you have. Phone cameras and “point and shoots” give you little, if any, control over the exposure and lens coverage.

A photo taken in 1974 with a snapshot  35mm camera.

Everyone, though, has the ability to control the angle they shoot from and when to depress the shutter.

The best composition comes from taking a moment to walk around the scene and look through your camera’s viewfinder. What do you see? What angle captures what you see best?

Is there a distracting car, boat or plane in the frame, one that will leave if you wait a little bit? What about a tree or building you see from one side but not another?

Even though many cameras are fully automatic in terms of exposure control, you can still improve your people photos with these simple tips.

·  If your subject is wearing a hat, have them remove it or tip it back so their face is lit, and not in deep shadow.

·  If your subject is wearing sunglasses, ask them to take them off.

This shot captured another car in a hubcap reflection.

·  Also, don’t have your subject look straight into a bright light like the sun. Instead, have the sun at one shoulder. This keeps your subject from being blinded and giving a pained expression while still being better than having a strong light behind them.

A final suggestion is very simple: shoot a lot of photos, then go through them and delete the ones you don’t like. Only share the very photos—the top 5, 6 or 10—from your trip. This keeps interest up and boredom down. You can always share more photos if someone asks.

The author is a former newspaper reporter, editor and photographer plus a past member of the National Press Photographers Association.