Top Tips for Better Photos

Holiday, Day-Out, Barbecue or Family Party...

Wherever you are - whatever you're taking photographs of, our Top Tips for Better Photos - based on the techniques that we use to take beautiful photographs for our customers - are designed to help you take better photos too.

There are three main areas to consider when taking photographs - and you'll be pleased to know that they've got nothing to do with how much you need to spend on a camera!

Whether you've got the latest digital camera, a basic camera phone or something in-between - our Top Tips for Better Photos will help you to improve your picture taking.  Based on these key areas that will have a beneficial effect on your photography...

What You See Is What You Get

Seeing the Light

Camera Skills

Read on, make use of these tips and get better results from your photography...

What You See Is DEFINITELY What You Get!

It may sound obvious, but when you take a picture, what you will get in your photo will, more or less, be what you see in your viewfinder or on your screen.

Very few good photographs happen by accident - so pay attention to what you can see in your camera before you press the button - and your photographs will improve.  Unintentionally missing heads should soon become a thing of the past!

Portraits

If you're taking photos of family and friends don't just take pictures where you can see the whole of the person, we recognise people by their faces not by their feet! Get in close for better portrait photos - if you've got a zoom lens - use it to get closer without moving too close to your subject.

Instead of asking your subjects to smile - most people and nearly all children will put on a 'camera face' if you do - try to get your subject to smile naturally.  Tease them or wind them up a little, tell them a joke - or get them to tell you one, do whatever it takes and you'll get much better, far more natural looking photographs.

Constantly be aware that what you see is what you'll get when you take a photo - try to remove any distractions so that the intended subjects in your photo are the only thing that you will focus on in the resulting photo, and watch out for plants appearing to grow out of peoples ears, strange figures in the background or too many empty bottles in the foreground(!)...

Landscapes

Ever taken a photo of some fantastic scenery or a wonderful view, only to be disappointed with the result?  We all have.

When you stand looking at a view you are very much aware of how big it is compared to how small you are - that's part of what makes a view so magnificent, its scale.

When you then view your picture as a print or on screen it looks far less impressive - and it's because it's now so much smaller in scale.

To make photos of views work, you need to do something to create the feeling of scale that so impressed you in the first place - and fortunately this is, usually, quite easy.

If you include something in the foreground of your photo - like a tree, rock, boat, person, anything you like (but ideally something that doesn't look out of place!) - your photo will have the feeling of scale that makes the view so impressive in the first place - and it will be so much better for it!

And just one more thing, make sure that the horizon is level (crucial if you are taking photos of the sea!) and your pictures will look far more like you want them to.

Viewpoint

If you are taking a photo of someone or something much smaller than you; a child, dog or flower - don't just take the photo from your standing position looking down at your subject - get down to your subject's level - your photos will look far more natural.

If you are taking a photo of something much larger than you, a house, car, large group of people or landscape - don't make do with standing where you happen to be, your view (and therefore your photo) will be completely different if you change your position - try standing on a wall or a chair (safely!), but also try crouching down, walk around your subject to see how it changes (it will!) and select the best postition before taking your photograph.

Seeing the Light

The importance of light in photographs can not be overstated.

The quality, direction and colour of light is the main factor concerned with creating mood and atmosphere - too little or too much light can ruin a photo, and the ability to control light is one of the main skills of the professional photogapher.

Fortunately, there are a few tips concerning light that can really help you to take better photos...

People outside - although it's great to be outside in the sunshine, direct sunlight is also one of the most challenging conditions for taking photographs of people...

If your subjects have the sun in their eyes they will screw their faces into a squint - if your subjects have the sun behind them, they may well become dark silouhettes, the best compromise in direct sunlight is to turn your subjects so that the sun falls across their faces, from one side or the other and from slightly in front - this way you'll avoid the worst of the squinting and the shadows created by the sun will make their faces look rounded and true to life.

When you turn your subject to make the most of direct sunlight, remember you'll also need to make sure the background is still okay.

Another way to overcome the issue of direct sunlight is to use the shaded area under trees or the shadow of a building - both produce a far more even light that is better for portrait photos.  Although not so welcome on a day-out, overcast conditions produce beautifully soft lighting conditions for portraits, so make the most of them!

People indoors - the best advice for taking photos of people indoors is to make use of as much available light as you can, light from windows and electric room lighting - reducing your dependance on light from your built-in flash (if you've got one).  Using available light will help your photographs to look more natural and you're more likely to keep a sense of the place - flash is likely to result in  brightly lit faces against a dark featureless background.

Landscape lighting is generally at its very best when the sun is low in the sky - in the hours around sunrise and sunset (or most of the day in mid-winter!). This is because the low angle of the light increases the appearance of shape and texture in subjects, from the bark on a tree in the foreground to the rolling nature of hills in the background. It is also warmer in colour and the orangy glow flatters most subjects.

You can't control the position of the sun(!) and if you are only able to take photographs during a brief visit somewhere you'll need to make the most of it - so concentrate on getting a great viewpoint and you'll still get a much better photograph.

Camera Skills

All of the above tips will mean nothing if you don't use your camera properly - assuming that you've taken note of the above, improving just a one basic camera skill will work wonders for your photography.

Keep it still!

If you don't hold your camera securely when taking a photograph it is likely to move when you do - resulting in  photos appearing blurred or out of focus.

Holding a camera still starts with your feet! Make sure you have a firm footing, with your weight balanced and your feet slightly apart.

Hold your camera firmly, but not too tight, with both hands.

Whether you are looking through the viewfinder with the camera to your eye (where it's easier to hold it still) or holding it at arms length to see the image on your screen - when you are ready to take a photo, gently press the button - don't stab at it with a heavy finger.

And if, as most digital cameras do, there's a delay between when you press the button and when the camera decides to take the picture - be aware of this and keep perfectly still until your camera has finished doing it's job!

If the light is poor or your camera warns of possible camera shake - lean against something solid, such as a wall or rest your elbows on a table or fence.

If your camera has an anti-shake or image stabiliser facility - still do all of the above, it won't mask poor technique.

Whatever way you look at it, when you take a photograph you are capturing a moment in time. So remember that whatever sort of camera you use - if you leave it at home you won't be able to capture that special moment or that fantastic view - so keep it with you, think about the tips above and take lots of photos.

"Happy Snapping!"