Pixiq

Let’s face it.  Point-and-shoot cameras are ridiculously easy to use (pushing a button ain’t difficult), they are as small and light as an iPhone, and the quality of the images is so good now that the Jpegs could be used for a magazine cover.

The problem is that most people take terrible pictures with them.  Yes, the photos document friendships, special moments, and great memories, but how many times have you heard, “You should have been there because these pictures just don’t do it justice”?

If you would like to see a marked improvement in your picture taking skills, here is a list of things you can do that will make a big difference in your photography. These pointers apply to those of you who have more sophisticated cameras, too.

1.  Shoot with the sun at your back

Front lighting evenly illuminates subjects, thus eliminating bad shadows and unattractive contrast. 

2.  Photograph people in the shade with a shaded background

Diffused light is the most complimentary type of lighting for outdoor portraiture.  People don’t squint from a bright sun and there are no unattractive shadows on their face. Avoid shooting people when the sun is overhead or behind them.

3.  Watch for cluttered backgrounds. 

Busy backgrounds are distracting.  Position yourself or your subject such that the background isn’t a mess and your pictures will improve significantly.

4.  Fill the frame with the subject. 

If you are shooting a person, don’t stand back 15 or 20 feet and include their feet.  Move in close to fill the frame with their head and shoulders. Who cares about feet? The essence of people is their face.

5.  When photographing children or pets, shoot at their level. 

Photographing eye-to-eye will give you much more intimate and compelling images as opposed to standing at an adult height and shooting downward.

6.  In low light circumstances, avoid blurred pictures by using a tripod, a flash, or a fast shutter speed. 

If you hand hold the camera with slow shutter speeds (slower than 1/60^th of a second), the pictures will not be sharp. Autoexposure is a great tool, but you still must be the master of the medium. Always watch what's happening to the shutter speed.  If it gets too slow, you must either raise the ISO, use a flash (if the subject is fairly close to you), or use a solid support like a tripod to prevent camera movement during a long exposure.

7.  Avoid extremely high ISO settings if possible. 

The ideal is to shoot at 400 ISO or less because this gives you better picture quality for prints.  High ISO settings like 800, 1600, and 3200 produce images that have too much digital noise.  If you are shooting in a dark environment and your subject is out of flash range, then you have no choice but to use a high ISO setting.

8.  Don’t shoot into shiny surfaces with a flash.

This will give you an wanted reflection.  Stand to the side and shoot at an oblique angle, and you will avoid the glare from the flash in glass, chrome, varnished wood, polished marble, etc.

9.  Use daylight white balance when shooting outdoors. 

Don’t use auto white balance, especially at sunrise and sunset.  The colors will be disappointing.  If you want to capture the golden tones that we love so much about sunrise and sunset light, use daylight WB. I use AWB only for shooting florescent illumination.  For indoor photography, use tungsten WB (some cameras say 'indoors').

10.  Don’t only shoot horizontal pictures. Shoot vertical ones as well. 

Turning the camera 90 degrees is a simple thing to do, and when photographing people, architecture, and trees, for example, a vertical composition may be more attractive than a horizontal one.