Tip 6: Take photos in portrait orientation
Have you ever tried taking photos in portrait orientation? Portrait orientation is often an
excellent choice: for a lighthouse on a rock, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or even for your
four-year-old nephew while he's happily jumping around outside. Turn the camera 90°, in the portrait orientation, when taking photos and see what a difference it makes.
Tip 7: Set the subject in motion
Take charge of your subject and you will see: the photos will be better. Don't
limit yourself to the role of an observer. Become a director! A director takes charge.
A director chooses the location: 'Everyone outside, in the garden!' and works with
props: 'Ladies, put on your pink sunglasses!' A director positions the people: 'Everyone come here and lean forward, towards the camera.' Most photos don't require so much effort. But that is also the idea behind this tip; take charge of your image and you will take the best photos.
Tip 8: Take snapshots
Don't always ask the subject to pose or to look towards the camera.
Be versatile. When taking snapshots pay attention to how people
work, how they play, how they lean backwards, talk or take a break.
Tip 9: Place the subject in the foreground
When you photograph a landscape you place the subject, a tree for instance,
in the foreground. Elements in the foreground give the image a certain
depth. A person in the foreground can serve as a motif for
landscape photography. You can make a composition of various situations
by placing an object in the foreground: hanging branches that illustrate
a landscape in the background, a window or an arch that provides the desired
depth. This makes the landscape photo more interesting.
Tip 10: Focus manually
If the subject is not located in the centre of the image, you need to switch off the autofocus
in order to take a sharp picture. Most autofocus cameras target whatever is in the centre of the image; that may be the subject, but it may also be
the surroundings. For an optimal photo, however, the subject
should be offset to one side of the centre.
In order to obtain sharp focus in this situation you must first point the camera towards
the subject and switch off the autofocus. Then you change the composition,
with the subject to one side. As a general rule, the autofocus can be bypassed using these three steps. Point the camera at the subject
and depress the shutter button half way. Now move the camera so the subject is positioned properly in the image.
Finally, press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the photo!
Back to Tips 1 through 6
