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WE'VE all rushed to
the chemist to get our snaps developed, only to be
disappointed by fuzzy shots with red-eye and parts of
bodies cut off.
For digital camera
owners those days should be gone. But even the most
advanced technology won't necessarily save you from
taking bad pictures.
On digi, you can
shoot as many times as you like until you get a snap
exactly as you want it; you can play around with
settings and experiment with angles.
And, with Christmas
round the corner, you won't want any glitches stopping
you from capturing those precious family moments. So
here's some photo tips.
1
RESOLUTION Set your camera to the highest
possible resolution and lowest compression settings.
2 TAKE YOUR
TIME Don't just point and shoot. Take a moment
to find the best possible angle.
3 THE RULE
OF THIRDS Imagine your photo divided into three
horizontal and vertical sections, like a noughts and
crosses board. Place your subject off-centre near the
intersections of the imaginary grid and move them around
until you create the best composition.
4 GET
CLOSE Don't end up with pictures in which
people look like tiny dots, surrounded by lots of
boring, irrelevant space and background.
5 CORNERS
AND MERGERS Ensure there are no unwanted
objects lurking in the corners of the frame. Double
check for trees, lampposts, plants and other objects
that may be sticking out of someone's head. Or
worse.
6
DISTRACTIONS AND CLUTTER Don't include colours
or background that might take attention away from the
subject. Be wary of clutter in the viewfinder that might
obscure or overwhelm the subject.
7 ANGLES
Instead of just snapping at your eye level, try
kneeling or lying on the ground. For shots of infants
and toddlers get to their eye level. Why not turn your
camera 45 degrees just before taking the shot?
8 FRAME
YOUR SUBJECT Use foreground objects such as
tree branches, window frames or an arch to add depth to
the image. Also look for reflections - they can be more
dramatic than the original object. Shadows can provide
contrasts and depth.
9
SUNSHINE Ensure the sun is behind you - unless
you are taking pictures of the sunset or sunrise. If you
do take a shot into brightness, set your camera on
fill-in flash and ensure your subject is not more than
about four feet from the camera to avoid the face being
in deep shadow.
10 PRINT
YOUR PICTURES There's no use taking great
pictures if no one sees them. Make sure you print them
out for everyone to enjoy.
-For more tips on
how to take great pictures and ideas on where to get
your memories printed, check out http://www.prints-are-memories.com/
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