Tip #4 : Sniper attack!

Looking at some pictures people take, you'd think their day job was SWAT sniper. Why else would you put your victim ... err... I mean subject dead center in your viewfinder?

Problem : Placing the subject dead center is rarely visually appealing. It's pretty rare that the surroundings are interesting or at least not distracting all around your subject (say, if you were looking to take an "I've been here" shot) so you generally end up with a whole lot of uninteresting stuff in your picture. In the image on the left you have a light switch, a distracting crooked vertical line on the right side, the picture frame on the left is cut off, the whole picture just looks sloppy (although this could also be because I was in a dire need of a haircut).

Solution : Divide the scene in three sections on the vertical and three on the horizontal and try to place your subjects along one of the lines or at one of the intersections between the horizontal and vertical lines. Pick the line/intersection in such way that the background is the most pleasant/interesting/non-distracting. This is called the "Rule Of Thirds" and is a basic rule of composition. There are certainly situations where this "rule" needs to be broken, but it works more often then it doesn't.


Extra tip : In most cases, a sloppy composition can be fixed with some cropping, in post-production. But why spend more time fixing pictures which can be taken right from the beginning?

Want to learn more about composition? Buy a book! This is a good one :

Tip #1: Don't make your girlfriend look like a Pinocchio ...

... unless you mean to!

Problem : Most cameras default to the widest zoom setting when you turn them on. It's also the absolute worst setting to take head shots as a wide angle lens will enlarge items that are closer (like your girlfriend's nose). 

Solution : Zoom in the camera to the maximum setting and step back to frame the shot. You may want to keep an eye on where are you stepping though, there are many things that could ruin your day, from dog shit to a Mack truck...

If your only "camera" is your cellphone, well, get comfortable sleeping on the couch, most cellphone cameras have a fixed wide angle lens. If you decide to buy a camera, Adorama and B&H Photo Video, are the largest and most serious photo mail order stores (and if you live in NYC, retail stores) in US. I buy everything from one or the other.