"7 Proven Tips and Techniques That Will Have You Taking Great Digital Photos That You Can Be Proud Of."
By: Teresa Pocock

Taking great digital photos is not as hard as you might think!

In fact, if you are wondering how to take great digital photos, these 7 proven practical tips will tell you just that!

By following these quick tips and techniques you will significantly improve your digital photography to the point where you will be taking impressive photos everyday!

1) *** Take More Photos! *** Get out there and take more photos with your digital camera.

It won't cost you anything!

It will give you practice and skill using your camera so handling it will become second nature; you then have more time to think about the photo itself!

This tip will also increase your chances of getting that great photo - particularly with group shots, where you might find later that someone was blinking etc.

Children and pets are great to practice this tip on as they can be difficult to get that perfect shot of, and you will need to keep taking photos to capture it!

<side note> If you don't have a big enough memory card you will need to delete some photos every half hour or so.

A better option is to invest in a larger memory card. That way you can take as many photos as you need (always more than you think), and not worry about deleting those that don't quite make it until later!

2) *** Focus *** Make sure you and your camera are focusing on the same thing!

Check which 'mode' the camera is set at to see whether your camera is 'looking for' a single subject (often in Macro, Portrait and Sports Modes). Or is it trying to 'pull' everything into focus - such as in the Landscape Mode?

Set the camera to the appropriate mode for your subject, or use the auto mode - where the camera will decide for you the best focus and exposure for the subject.


3) *** Move In Closer *** Most people stand too far away from their subject!

Don't be afraid to get in close! Take a few steps closer and see what a difference it makes. If you cannot get in closer, use your optical zoom (never the digital zoom) to bring the focus closer to you.

You could even kneel or stand on a chair to get in closer and to change the perspective of the photo.

<side-note> Optical zoom uses the mechanics of your camera; digital zoom is an electronic function. Results from digital zoom often produce poor quality photographs.


4) *** One Key Subject *** Focus on one key subject to make the photo really stand out!

Stop trying to record everything you see!

Pick a focal point that will be the centre of 'attention' which you can concentrate on.

Using portrait or macro mode can help this technique as both have shallow depth of field - which effectively 'blurs' everything in front and behind the focused subject.

Try picking one key subject, such as a single flower, and see what the difference it makes to your digital photos!

<side-note> There are factors which affect the depth of field, such as how close you stand to your subject, so you will need to experiment as see what works best for you.

5) *** Simple Backgrounds *** Try to find a 'simple' background for your subject.

One that is uncluttered and unobtrusive.

This can be particularly important for portrait and group photographs. You don't want to have a distracting background for a lovely soft portrait, or have the classic light pole 'growing' out of someone's head!

Move the subject/s into a position that will minimize the background.

Remember having the subject further from the background will also lessen its effect.

6) *** Off-Centre the Subject *** That's right! Get the subject out of the middle of the photo!

Use the 'rule-of-thirds' to position the subject in a pleasing location in the image.

The 'rule-of-thirds' is like having an imaginary 'tick-tack-toe' diagram drawn on your focus screen. Where those lines cross is where you place the subject.

This can really make a difference to your photographs.

But don't use it all the time - remember rules are made to be broken!

7) *** Use Flash *** Yes - even in daylight!

This is often called 'fill-flash'. Using it will lessen any harsh shadows, resulting in better light for your photo.

This tip is great if you take photos in the middle of the day when the light is harshest.

It works particularly well for portrait and group photography.

But remember the flash on your camera is only good for about 10 feet - don't stand too far away from your subject!

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These 7 tips and techniques are proven fundamentals of digital photography.

Start using them today and you will be taking great digital photos that you can be proud of!

Happy Snapping!

About the Author
Teresa Pocock is a successful author and published photographer who can teach you how to take first-class digital photos... even if you've never used a camera before! Ms Pocock is a member of the NAPP: National Association of Photoshop Professionals => http://www.yourdigitalphotosuccess.com