5 Tips For Getting Better Photos

By Kim Jepperson

Get closer, closer, closer! Step in closer to get the shot, rather than stepping back.  Fill the entire frame with your subject.  If you have a zoom, zoom in all the way. Avoid unimportant background clutter. A vertical shot will do this best.

Pay attention to lighting. Watch the direction of light on your scene.  Bright sunlight tends to make people squint, and can cast dark shadows on your subjects.  Bright, overcast days are the best lighting conditions for pictures as is right after sunrise and right before sunset.  Also, play with your flash.  Turn it on outside to eliminate shadows in snow and shade.  Turn it off inside and place your subject next to a window for natural lighting.  Best times of day for photos:  Early morning and early evening.  Best time of year for photos: Spring and Fall.  Best makeshift photography studio: The GARAGE!

Remember the rule of thirds. Dead center can be boring.  Move your object to the “thirds rule.”  When looking through the frame, is it in the thirds section?  If you had a graph in front of  you, it would have to lines horizontally and two lines vertically, spaced out evenly.  Now, you would be able to see your thirds, rather than a dead center photo.

*Angle means everything: Shoot from above to make people look young, innocent, vulnerable. Shoot from below to make people look powerful and strong.

Enlarge and crop those special photos to get a desired effect. Don’t expect every shot to be a sure shot. Even pros take an entire roll of film to get one great shot. Take lots of photos horizontally as well as vertically.

Remember the details! Rather than always posing people, engage them in a natural activity to take their eyes off you and the camera. Have them cuddle or hug. Whispering a secret is especially effective for little girls! Make them laugh. Give them food! Give them something to look at. Take pictures of different expressions and moods. One of my favorite photos is of my two year old picking his nose! Get hands and feet, body parts, shoes, etc. (remember this for vacation photos.)