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Whatever you’re taking pictures of and whatever camera you use, you can bring home great pictures if you follow a few simple steps.

Light

To start with, photography is all about light; you should always try and use over-the-shoulder light to get the best effects. Position your subject so that the sun is behind you - the photographer - and shining onto, or reflecting on the subject. Shooting into the sun may overexpose the film, or else you’ll find that the camera will compensate for the extreme brightness and silhouette your subject.

Choose the Right Film

For best results, use the film speed that coincides with the light conditions in which you plan to shoot: 200-speed (ISO 200) film for all-purpose shooting in variable light conditions and 400-speed (ISO 400) for indoor photographs or other situations where ambient light is minimal. If in doubt, use the higher speed film – ensuring that your camera is properly adjusted to the relevant ASA/ISO speed. Check your camera instructions to see whether this is done automatically, or needs to be adjusted manually. Generally speaking the more sensitive the film the better results you will get back, however challenging the light conditions are you’re shooting in.

Hold Still

The easiest way to ruin a great picture is to move the camera while you're pressing the shutter release button. You should try to bring your elbows down to your sides when you’re ready to take the picture, this will steady you a lot more than having your elbows stuck out. Take your time, put down bags and coats if possible, so as not to overbalance yourself. Frame the picture for a few seconds and take a glance around to see if there’s a better way of assembling the images in the frame. Remember, not every picture will be a masterpiece of composition - nor does it have to be! Sometimes it really is best just to take a chance and see what you get. Experimentation is really the best way to become familiar with your camera and what it can and can’t do.

If you have difficulty holding or supporting the camera there are a number of ways you can steady yourself. Brace yourself against a wall or steady the camera on a flat surface - such as the roof of your car - or sit down while you shoot. Another trick – and this is particularly handy if you’re planning on taking delayed release pictures – is to get yourself a small pocket sized beanbag. You simply place the camera body on top of the beanbag, and the camera will remain steady while you get yourself into the picture! This also helps with modern cameras, which often have a smooth rounded design, making them tricky to place securely on an even surface.

For the more serious snapper, a tripod is a good purchase and a sure way of stabilising a camera – particularly when married to a cable release - but it can be a little pricey. A halfway house for the driving photographer is a small gadget that clips onto a half wound down car window. This has a screw thread, allowing your camera to be locked into position, enabling easy and quick set-ups for all those picture opportunities you spot while driving around.

Fill the Frame

When shooting, don't be afraid to get close to your subject, or close the distance by zooming in close if your camera has that facility. Photographs of subjects that fill the frame are much more dramatic than those with tiny subjects engulfed by the rest of the picture space.

Use Flash

Flash can be used to brighten dull or marginal light conditions, as well as for indoor shots. It’s important to get used to using flash as a fill-in for dull outdoor scenes but also to know when not to use it. Flash used too close or too far away will be ineffective. Objects in the foreground of a flash shot can easily appear “whited-out” on the final print. Again, it’s about learning your camera’s quirks – is there a way to switch off the flash facility? If there isn’t, the camera may make choices based purely on light conditions, making it hard for you to decide you want a moody, darker shot, or to fill-in for dull skies or shadows.

Magic Minutes

Try to take advantage of the first 15 minutes of daylight at dawn and the last 15 at dusk if you can. During these magical minutes, the horizon filters the sun's rays and casts a warm glow on photographic subjects. The effect can often be very dramatic when shooting portraits or landscapes.

Anyone can take great pictures with almost any camera, from a disposable camera to a top-of-the-line digital camera. With modern photographic processing technology, virtually any camera is a digital camera. You can have your photos put onto a CD for safe keeping, upload them to one of any number of websites offering that as a service and either e-mail them to friends and family, or build your own password protected online gallery that guests can visit. The possibilities for film and digital images are almost endless.

Photo Facts

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