Better Photos With Your Digital Camera

Everyone has a digital camera today and we all take a lot of photos. But if your photos still have trees coming out of your fathers head, mom has red eye, and your beloved pet is never facing the camera then here are some tips to help you take better photos. . Always be aware of the background. I know this is the hard one but it is critical. If youre setting up a shot take a quick look at what is behind the people in your shot. So many perfectly good photos are ruined by a tree seeming to grow out of a persons head. It can be as simple as the person taking one full step to the right or left to move the obstacle that would ruin your photo. . Use available light. If your digital camera has an option to turn the flash off and its light enough outside to read a book then use the available light and turn the flash off. In general camera flashes are too harsh for human skin and make all of us look pale. (Even better if your camera has a fill flash use that indoors where there isnt enough daylight, and place the person by a window as well.) . Use ambient soft light. The reason that so many of use pose people under trees, and end up with the ruined photo with a tree coming out of dads head, is that we all instinctively know that soft light is best. Sunlight filtered through a trees leave is beautiful and warm. It warms up the skin and puts a soft light to the features. Indoors near a window with drapes has a similar effect. . Aim your camera slightly down at the persons face. Now I dont mean climb a ladder but just dont ever, and I mean ever, point your camera looking up to a person. We all look fat and bloated at that angle. Also dont shoot just face on to the person, try a little to the side, a three quarter view, so that you see more of their face. Remember camera higher looking down and a three quarter view, it will slim your subject. . Remember your focus, are you taking a photo of mom and the tree, then take mom with the whole tree. But if youre taking a photo of mom next to a tree do we really need to see the entire tree? Get closer to your subject. We can see some of the tree bark with mom leaning against it, but showing the whole tree is a waste. Remember this tip with children, many people take a shot of their dear child for an expression on the childs face, but in the printed shot the child is lost next to another kid, the swing set, and the dog. Remember get closer. . Never put your subject dead center. All family photographers do this and its as hard of a habit to break as remembering to look at the background. But if youve moved closer to your subject remember to put them just sightly off center. Not a lot just a bit. When youre shooting even groups of people this is especially easy but odd numbered groups is a little more difficult. Just find your imaginary center line of your group and put that line just a bit off center in your view through your lens or screen. With these tips you can be on your way to taking better photos today.