How to shoot better photos in 5 minutes.

If you're like any other camera owners out there who thought that your photos aren't great because your camera is not good enough, think again!

Good photos aren't about good cameras. I will share some quick tips that will improve your photos within 5 minutes! With some practice, you will be taking great photos naturally.

Filling the frame

Look at the below scene: If you see your friend in the photo. How would you shoot her?

Most people will do it the quick way like this:

and get this

Nice try, yup, your friend's inside but something just doesn't look good about it.
Why don't we move the digital camera down a little like this for different composition?

You now get this photo.

before: after:

Even though the second photos won't win you any awards, but simply moving the camera down a little you've achieved a better shot!

Tip: Compose a person's face/head as close to the top of the photo as possible but not touching the top of the photo. Leave a little space between the top of the photo and the person's head. Also if possible, move the person slightly off centre like what I've done. It is important to fill the frame or photo with your subject.

Rules of third

Let me introduce to you the famous "rule of thirds". This is the most often used composition rule.

What this means is to divide your LCD screen of your digital camera into 1/3s like below

Notice lines V1 and H1 intersect at point 'A', and you have the same for B, C and D. The trick here is to place some prominent feature or your subject of interest either at the intersections A,B,C,D or along lines V1, V2, H1 or H2.

Most (unfortunately not all) digital compact cameras have this feature, you have got to find out how to turn it on if your digital camera comes with such a feature.

Even if your digital camera doesn't have such a feature, fret not, all you need to do is estimate. There's no need to be absolutely accurate with the rule of thirds. As long as it lands somewhere near the features, its fine.

Let's take a look at this photo. The horizon cuts right though the middle of the photograph. Let's assume this is now we see it when we visited this place.

Let's say we can improve this shot or maybe you were at this place now, how would you take the shot? Here's how I would shoot this photo with my digital camera, I'm interested in the person sitting in the field. Let's try to position the horizon and the person onto our lines or intersection points using the rule of third.

With the camera, position it over the fields like this,

This is how the rule of third worked on this photo.

See the person now sits on V1 and the horizon lies on H2? Let's see what we will get.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the original photo that has the horizon through the middle of the photo, but I just find the second photo more pleasing to the eye.

Tip: Align features or subjects onto the vertical or horizontal lines dividing the LCD of the digital camera into thirds or place subjects at the intersection points of the line.

Diagonal lines

The last quick tip I want to share is the diagonal line.

Look at this picture. The playground is right smack in the middle but yet it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

This photo applied the rule of diagonals. This means the image forms a diagonal line cutting the LCD screen of your digital camera.

If you were to notice, the photo is divided into one-thirds as well. Trees, playground, trees, each taking up roughly 1/3 of the photograph.

There you have. 3 quick tips to improve your shots whether you are shooting your friends or on a holiday. Just keep practising these 3 quick tips and you will no longer be shooting lousy photos!

Tip:

If your subject does not fit into the rules of third try the diagonal instead. You can mix and match the tips you've learnt and get better photos!

The great thing about digital cameras it that they offer instant review of the photo you have taken. If it doesn't work for you, try it again!

That was simple wasn't it?

Stay tuned more photography tips coming soon.

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