BBC’s Guide: How to Take Good Photographs

Links
http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=38/39/6369/733&pq-locale=en_US

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/apictureofbritain/how_to/landscape/composition.shtml


Landscape

Always keep your horizons (any horizontal lines) level in your photographs, otherwise your shots will appear crooked.

Many people mistakenly put the main points of interest in the centre of their photographs. Keep the main points of interest away from the centre, and from the extreme edges of your shots.

Don't shoot everything from a standing position. Look for interesting angles by changing the camera positions.

Try to avoid empty space in your photographs.

Light

The soft light you get on overcast days is especially good for photographing people, as is produces the best skin tones.

Side or 'cross' lighting is more interesting because it gives depth and form to your subject (the person you are photographing).

In this picture, soft light from a low sun lights the girl's face from the side, while a zoomed-in setting throws the background out of focus.


Lens

Use your zoom lens to shorten the 'depth of field' (sense of depth) in your photograph, and throw the background out of focus. This adds emphasis to your subject.

A wide-angle lens used too close to your subject will distort their features.
Use your zoom lens to fill your photograph, rather than leaving your main point of interest floating in space.

Zooming in will flatten perspective, which generally produces a more flattering shot of your subject.

In this picture, a zoomed-in setting focuses on the dancer, throwing the foreground objects out of focus.

Portrait

Be aware of how people are framed in your shot.

Look for the natural junctions of the human body (where it seems natural to 'cut-off') if you are not including the whole person in the shot.

Soft light is preferable for portraits. Try sitting your subject near a window.

Children

Get the children used to you and the camera by firing off lots of shots first.

For small children, pre-focus the camera. This is done on most digital cameras by pressing down halfway on the shutter button. Then move yourself backwards and forwards with the child to keep the shot in focus.

Get down on your hands and knees to stay level with your subject and appear less intimidating.

Use something to draw the child's attention away from the fact that they are having their photograph taken.

Flash

Use your camera's red-eye reduction setting (if it has one) when taking flash photographs of people.

Avoid red-eye by turning up or providing more light in the room.

Aiming the flash directly at your subject can result in harsh lighting. Try to bounce the flash off a reflective or white surface, such as the ceiling, to produce a softer light.

'Fill-in' flash (which may be a setting on your camera) is useful for subjects that are quite brightly lit from behind, as in this picture.