10 Tips for Better Digital Photography

So you just bought your own brand new digital camera, and you cannot put it down. You see the beauty of the world, the uniqueness of the different humans and animals within it, and want to capture every amazing moment you can. However, sometimes, your pictures are less than perfect. If the above is a good explanation of where you stand with digital photography, these next 10 steps may take you from an amateur to a pro.

Step 1: Take MANY pictures

I know it may seem a little too simplistic, but sometimes no matter what you do in advance to prepare yourself for great picture-taking, pictures just do not come out right. Snap them quick and snap them often. In the age of digital photography, where you do not pay by the roll, there is no reason NOT to snap as many as you can. Later, you can weed out the bad, and keep the good.

Step 2: Get creative

There may be a reason why your pictures look dull and boring, and it may stem with your "point and click at anything and hope it comes out good" technique. Get creative!! Try different angles, different lighting, and many different styles of photo taking. The greater number of different ideas you include into your picture taking, the better the chances that something might work. Who knows, you may just "develop" a style of your own this way!!

Step 3: Use simple backgrounds

If you're taking a picture of an item, inanimate or animate, and you wish for that item to be the center of attention, make sure you background is simple. Avoid taking such pictures on a cluttered background. One good example of a solid background would be a plain, dark black or dark blue sheet.

Step 4: Use the right camera

We are talking about digital photography, but even in our crazy age of cameras without the need of film development, certain cameras are not good for all situations. Assess your picture-taking scenario (formal, group, artsy, nature, etc) and do your research and find which camera will do the best job for your project. Check the "what kind of camera" link at http://www.photonhead.com/ for more information on choosing the right camera for the right situation.

Step 5: Move in a little bit!

Not every time, but many times, it is necessary to get extremely close to the subject of your picture, to ensure they are the focus of the shot. Sometimes, your background can overpower even a centered feature of your image if you take the photo from too far away.

Step 6: Shoot in "high quality"

Are you doing everything right, but everything still seems to look pix-elated and blurry? You may have your camera on a low-quality setting, in order to save space on your memory card. Obviously, for the highest-quality pictures available, you must set your camera to high quality. Cameras will very on how exactly you go about setting the quality standards, but most name-branders will explain the settings in the instructional manual.

Step 7: ALWAYS carry your camera!

I can not stress this point more. Sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, there are those magic moments that just happen. So many times, I have had the perfect opportunity to capture a moment, and like a dummy, I left my camera on my kitchen table, or in my bedroom. I understand that some cameras can be big and bulky... lol... So go ahead and buy yourself a smaller one to put in your pocket, just in case. Even cell-phones these days are taking better and better pictures, so if that's all you got, snatch one with those.

Step 8: "Rule of Thirds"

If you've taken a high school class on photography, I'm sure you've heard of the "rule of thirds", if you haven't, here-goes. Looking through your camera's viewfinder, try to imagine there are lines dividing your picture into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, dividing your image into nine equally shaped blocks. Next, put your subject at one of the intersection points instead of in the center of the viewfinder. This gives your picture a much more "professional" and "interesting" look, than your normal "point and shoot" picture taken by so many armatures.

Step 9: Have fun, keep things natural and easy

Photography is an art, and just like with any art, if things are forced, they will generally come out wrong. Try your best to prepare yourself, but while in the moment, not take things too incredibly serious. Allow the people you are taking pictures of to have a good time. Do your best to create a positive, fun atmosphere. When a person is nervous, and does not want their picture taken, it shows. Do your best to keep things bright, and your photos will glimmer with cheer!

Step 10: When all else fails, get a great editing program!

Everyone these days, from the amateurs to magazine cover photographers, relies heavily on photo-editing software. From airbrushing, red-eye elimination, to brightening or darkening, or even adding crazy effects, one of the best benefits of digital photography is the use of good picture-editing programs.