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I met with Jill and Rik today at the 7 Pool’s Park in the Kenwood area to shoot their E-session, it’s a beautiful little park and they will be married here in June. I’m so excited! It’s gonna be beautiful. Speaking of beautiful…

Candy

I hear this time and time again. People are always asking what can they do to get better pictures. I’ve made up a list of 10 tips you can use to improve your pictures. Some of these things you may have heard before but, the more you hear them the more they will become like second nature when you need them!

1.) Get Closer! I can’t say this enough. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, wouldn’t it be nice to see them?

2.) Lose that on Camera Flash! The best way to avoid ugly shadows and red eye is to lose it! I know it’s not always an option, some Cameras won’t work without it. But, if you have the option, lose it! You won’t be sorry. Outdoors, flash is totally unnecessary. Indoors, if it’s light enough or if you have the ability to raise your ISO (like from 100 to 400) do that first, on Camera Flash should always be the last option.

3.) Try a different angle! Don’t be afraid to lay on the floor or step up on a chair for a different view. It may really surprise you how much photo’s can be improved just by changing the angle.

4.) Look in every corner! When you are just about ready to press that shutter, look around in your picture, Is it cluttered? Could you improve it by moving an inch or 2? Make sure there are no objects growing out of your subjects!

5.) Avoid Harsh Sunlight! The best times to shoot are early in the morning and later in the day (after 3 or so). In fact the later the better, that golden sunlight right before eve makes the prettiest light available!

6.) Ready, Aim, Hold your Breath! thats right, I said hold your breath! When you press the shutter, it only takes a mere fraction of a second ( about 1/60 ) to take the actual picture so, to avoid camera shake and blurry pictures try holding your breath when you shoot. Some other things that will help are leaning on something or spreading your legs for support.

7.) Watch for Shadows! During a portrait shoot, pull your subject away from the background if you are using on Camera Flash. If your taking a portrait outdoors under a tree, watch for the dappled sunlight, I know from experience, it can look really bad on someone’s face!!

8.) Like that Shot? take 3! This is really important if you are shooting a group photo. People blink, look away, scratch themselves and stick out their tongue ( without even realizing it). The more shots you get of your subject, the more likely you are to get one thats good!

9.) Vertical for single Portraits, Horizontal for Groups! This goes with getting closer. Don’t forget to turn your camera and get closer for a nice single Portrait.

10.) The rule of Thirds! Think of your viewfinder as a tic tac toe board; by placing your subject on one of the corresponding lines of the board, you create a much more interesting photo. Very rarely do I center a subject. It’s boring and unflattering.

The most important tip I can give you is to experiment! Have fun with your pictures and take loads of them!!

Candy