• First,
slow down. Take time to arrange your photo and examine every
aspect of what’s in the viewfinder. Look for telephone
poles, tree branches and other objects poking out of people’s
heads and rearrange the shot to eliminate those objects.
• Second, fill the frame with your subject. You’re
taking a photo of that person or object for a reason. Don’t
let her or it get lost in the photo by taking the shot from
too far away. Placing the person or object larger in the
photo also gives the viewer something to focus on.
• Third, if people you’re going to photograph
look uncomfortable, make small talk with them to get them
to relax and feel more comfortable. Also, if you’re
uncomfortable and tense, it will show in your subject. If
you’re at ease, your subject will relax and photograph
better.
• Fourth, keep the light to your back. If the light
is behind your subject, you’re going to get a silhouette
effect. The best time to shoot photos of people outdoors
is during the morning or evening light or in open shade
to avoid deep shadows under the eyes. However, you also
can use your flash outdoors to fill in shadows.
• Fifth, shoot more than one frame of your subject.
Taking more than one frame allows you to get slightly different
expressions on a person’s face and helps ensure that
his or her eyes aren’t closed in every photo. It also
gives you several shots to choose from for you photo album.
• Sixth, have fun and enjoy using your camera. When
you feel comfortable with the camera, experiment with different
lighting, backgrounds and settings.
