Photographic tips continued

Fill the frame with your subject. Do not be afraid to get closer to your subject. On the other hand, if you are using a digital camera with plenty of megapixels to spare, you can crop it later in software.

Try an interesting angle. Instead of shooting the object straight on, try looking down to the object, or crouching and looking up. Pick an angle that shows maximum color and minimum shadow. To make objects appear longer or taller, a low angle can help. You may also want to make the object look smaller or make it look like you’re hovering over; to get the effect you should put the camera above the object. An uncommon angle makes for a more interesting shot.

Focus. Poor focusing is one of the most common ways that photographs are ruined. Use the automatic focus of your camera, if you have it; usually, this is done by half-pressing the shutter button. Use the “macro” mode of your camera for close-up shots. Don’t focus manually unless your auto-focus is having issues; as with metering, automatic focus usually does a far better job of focusing than you can.

Next time we will talk about the technical stuff. ISO aperture and shutter speed.