| In the last few years digital cameras have gone | | | | yourself as a movie director and you need to get |
| from being expensive and taking bad pictures to | | | | your subjects into interesting poses, near an |
| inexpensive and taking high quality pictures. Now | | | | interesting background, away from telephone |
| we just need to learn how to take great pictures. | | | | poles, etc. Make sure that the car isn't in the |
| 1. Move close to your subject. | | | | background and the dog is pooping on the lawn. |
| Most people prefer to capture the entire person | | | | That last bit is from personal experience! |
| in the picture. While this may be great for taking a | | | | 4. Use flash outside. |
| picture of a bridge or skyline, it makes for boring | | | | When taking pictures in bright sunlight, the flash on |
| pictures of people. If you move close to your | | | | your camera can act as "fill flash". This will |
| subject you get interesting pictures. Don't be | | | | brighten the faces and shaded spots of your |
| afraid to crop part of the subject out of the | | | | subject. This is especially important if you're |
| picture for addded visual interest. | | | | subject is wearing a hat or standing in the shade. |
| 2. Get lower or higher than your subject. | | | | 5. Manage the light. |
| Depending on the subject, getting lower or higher | | | | If you know that you're going to be taking |
| makes for a much better picture, especially with | | | | pictures, try to schedule the photos to be taken |
| children. If you're looking down on someone and | | | | during early morning or late afternoon. These |
| taking their picture, you're picture will lack depth | | | | times during the day don't have harsh overhead |
| of field. By getting down on a knee and looking | | | | light that casts dark shadows. Also make sure |
| them right in the eye your picture will direct the | | | | your subjects are partially in the shade, wearing |
| eye of the viewer toward the subject. | | | | sunglasses or blocking the sun with a tree, hat, |
| 3. Don't be afraid to direct. | | | | umbrella or building. If you're taking a picture in the |
| People naturally stand near each other for | | | | sun it should not be directly overhead unless it's a |
| pictures. This is great for family portraits, but | | | | cloudy or overcast day. |
| people need to be coached, or directed. Imagine | | | | |