Photography: Top Ten Tips to Improve your Photos

The best things to do to take good pictures are pretty basic. Look here for help.

1. Get on Their Level: in order to take a better picture get on eye level with your subject. Instead of taking the picture from a bad angle (above) get down on one knee or lay down in order to take a picture more pleasing to the eyes.

Here's a picture taken from the same level as the subject, involving it in the picture.

Here's a picture from a bad angle, taken from above, not involving the subject.

2. Use a plain background: to help focus the picture on the subject not on the area around it. Check the background before taking a picture to see if the background is plain or not.

Here is a photo taken with a very cluttered background, distracting the eye from the subject of the picture.

This picture has a plain background, keeping the focus on the subject not on the things around it.

3. Use flash outdoors: In order to eliminate shadows that may appear when the sun is behind or above the subject, use the flash. Also the flash can brighten the subject and make it stand out from the background. Make sure you know the range of your flash before taking the picture, even if your flash is on, if you're too far away the subject won't be illuminated.

Here is a picture where the subject is in shadow.

Here is a picture where the subject is illuminated.

4. Move in close: to take a better picture completely fill the picture with the subject so that the details of the subject are clearer and take away the possible distractions of the background.

Here is a picture taken from far away. The subject's details aren't seen and the frame isn't filled with the subject.

This picture is better because the subject fills the frame, allowing the details to be seen.

5. Take vertical pictures: make an effort to take pictures vertically because many subjects look better this way.

Here is a picture taken vertically that compliments the subject.

Here is the same subject, but in a horizontal picture. The horizontal picture doesn't complement the subject as well.

6. Move from Middle, and Lock Focus: to create a photo that's more pleasing to the eye move the subject away from the middle to put more emphasis on the subject. Also make sure that the camera's focus is on the subject and not on the background around it.

Here is a photo that is focused on the subject, that is slightly moved to the side.

Here is a picture that isn't focused on the subject and is in the middle of the frame.

7. Watch the Light: Make sure when taking your photo you are aware of your light source. Make sure the subject is illuminated and not made a silhouette by the intensity of the light.

Here is a picture where the light of the sun puts the subject in extreme shadow.

Here is a picture where the sun is behind the photographer, in order to illuminate the subject and the picture.

9. Be a Director: With the camera in hand tell the people in your pictures how to pose. Tell them to get together, smile, or arrange themselves in a more interesting fashion. This is your photo, take charge!

In this picture the subject is not looking at the camera and isn't even posing at all.