Photography Tips

"A picture is worth a thousand words; a great picture is worth only one: WOW!"

- Art Escobado, photographer

Looking for ways to improve your own photos? Try these techniques to add a little more "wow!" to your snapshots.

There are three steps to great photos: Compose, Expose and Shoot!

Compose

Identify the Subject of Your Story

Every picture tells a story. To tell a good story you need to identify the main subject. What is it about this scene you want to share with others? Your subject might be anything from a close-up of a butterfly to a panoramic, sweeping vista of a distant mountain range. Simplify the composition to make it clear to your viewer what it is that you are trying to show them.

Horizontal or Vertical?

Next determine which orientation best fits your scene. We often forget that we can turn the camera sideways! Try both horizontal and vertical positions as you look through the viewfinder to determine which one helps you simplify the story.  If you do decide on a vertical orientation, try turning the camera so that the shutter button is at the bottom...this helps keep your hand out of the picture.

Fill the Frame

Once you've identified your subject and determined to use a wide or tall orientation, get in close and let your subject fill the frame. Leaving a lot of negative space (like empty skies or non-essential background elements) around your subject can distract your viewer and make it confusing to know what you were trying to capture.

Place the Subject in the Frame: The Rule of Thirds

As you frame your subject (either through the view-finder or active LCD screen), imagine the screen divided into a grid three rows high by three columns wide, like a tic-tac-toe board:

Our natural tendency is to place the subject right in the center of the photo. Instead, try shifting your subject to the left, right, up or down. This off-center framing is one of the easiest ways to add interest to your picture.

Add Depth

Another easy way to add interest to your pictures is to include objects in the foreground. Often times we only see the background image. By adding an element from the foreground (like a rock, some bushes or a fence) you can add a sense of depth to your photo. This extra separation between "near" and "far" also helps draw your viewer into the scene.

Another way to add depth is to use "lead-in" lines. Look for natural lines that can lead your viewer into the picture and point them toward your subject. Lead-in lines can take the form of something obvious like a path or a stream winding its way into the picture. Looking through your viewfinder, you may notice other "not so obvious" lead-in lines like a pattern of rocks or the way the clouds seem to radiate from a central point. Any of these elements can add depth to your images.

Change Your Perspective

Almost all of our photos are taken from the same perspective: eye-level while standing up. We automatically hold our camera up to our eye, snap the picture and move on. Add some interest to your pictures by simply changing your perspective. Get down lower and look up at your subject or get up higher to look down. Try to find a unique angle that highlights different features. Sometimes moving left or right can make a big difference, as well. Rather than standing in the middle of the path, try moving to one side and let the lines of the trail pull your viewer into the scene.

Watch the Horizon

One of the most common mistakes we make is to put the horizon line right through the middle of the picture. This balanced perspective (half sky, half foreground) can be a bit boring. If there is nothing particularly exciting about the sky, move it to the top 1/3 of the image (see the Rule of Thirds diagram) - or eliminate it all together. Conversely, if the sky is the story, move the foreground to the bottom 1/3 of the frame and use the top 2/3 to emphasize the sky.

Another typical horizon faux pas is to pass the horizon line right through a person's head. Watch out! See the previous tip (Change Your Perspective) for some ideas on how to move the horizon line up or down.

Finally, keep the horizon line straight. A tipped horizon line makes your viewers feel like the image is going to fall right off the page!

Expose

Choose Your ISO

With film cameras, your ISO setting was determined by the roll you bought - typically 100, 200 or 400 speed. With digital cameras, you can adjust the ISO setting based on your needs. Use slower speeds (100 or 200) for more detail and longer exposures (slower speeds mean the shutter stays open longer). Use higher speeds (400 or 800) for action scenes or low-light situations.

Use Flash?

Some scenes are very contrasty - bright skies and dark shadows. When the background of your scene is bright and the foreground is in the shadows, consider using your flash or fill-flash settings. This will help balance the amount of light across the entire picture giving you more details in the picture overall.

Consider Exposure Bracketing

It can sometimes be tricky to get just the right exposure for a scene. Many digital cameras allow you to use exposure bracketing to take a series of three pictures with one push of the button. Your camera will take a slightly underexposed, normally exposed and slightly overexposed version of the scene. Depending on the situation and how well your camera reads the light, you may enjoy the underexposed or overexposed versions better.

Use Filters?

There are a variety of filters available to help "enhance" your exposure. For example, a polarizer can be used to cut down glare on water or shiny surfaces and is often used to darken light skies. A warming filter (yellows and reds) can add a special touch to an otherwise "cold" scene (blues and grays). A split neutral density (ND for short) filter can help you balance a scene with intense bright skies and dark foregrounds. A simple filter can be  made by holding your sunglasses in front of your lens! Adjustments like these can help you avoid photos with areas that are overly dark or overly washed-out.

Shoot

Check Your Focus

Before pushing the button, be sure your scene is in focus. You can often do this by holding the button down half-way. Use specific focus points if your camera allows this option to be sure to keep your subject the main focus of the picture.

Use a Tripod

One of the best ways to quickly improve your outdoor photos is to use a tripod. Reducing the amount of camera movement while the photo is being snapped will make your pictures that much sharper. While using a tripod is the simplest way to do this, you don't always have to carry a tripod with you - be creative. Hold the camera up against a firm object like a wall, a table top or a tree. Anything that you do to keep the camera steady will help.

Use a Remote or Self-Timer

Another way to reduce any camera movement is to use a remote release to fire the shutter. These remotes come in wireless and cable versions. If you don't have one of these, you can use the timer on your camera.  The key is to reduce the possibility of shaking the camera when you open the shutter.

Review the Histogram

Finally, review the histogram. Most digital cameras give you the option of reviewing a histogram - use it. The histogram is a graph representing the balance of colors throughout your picture on a scale from black on the left to white on the right. The key is to make sure you don't have too much of your picture all the way to the left (underexposed - lots of dark areas) or to the right (overexposed - with highlights and blowouts). The histogram is more reliable than simply reviewing how the image looks on your LCD. Lighting conditions greatly affect how we see the image on the screen - but the histogram never lies. If the histogram shows your exposure needs adjusting, consider making adjustments to the amount of light you capture. See the section above on Exposure and try again.

Experiment

My last suggestion - go out and experiment! Try different settings and techniques and see how they influence your image.

But most of all, have fun!