Here are our quick-fire top 10 tips for better pictures.
With a little practice these simple and straightforward tips will help you improve your photography.

Ok, here we go...

1. EYE LEVEL SHOTS

The best way to take a picture of someone is to hold the camera at his or her eye level. Eye contact is just as impactful when taking pictures as it is in real life. Remember it’s not always necessary for your subject to look directly at the camera.

When taking a picture make sure the background is clear, not overpowering and busy, as you may find that more focus will be made on the background then the actual subject.

When taking pictures outside in the bright sun, consider using your flash. The sun can sometimes cast unpleasant shadows on your subject, so using the flash can lighten up the face.If your camera has a fill-flash mode then this should be used if your subject is within five feet. Anything more then use the full flash mode. Remember on cloudy days you can also use the fill-flash mode too.

When taking pictures of smaller subjects be sure to stand at least three feet away, making sure you fill the picture area with your subject. By focusing on the subject you can pick up noticeable details in their features. Don’t get too close, as your pictures will be blurry.

You can get great pictures by positioning the subject slightly off-centre.

Most ‘auto focus’ cameras focus on whatever is in the centre of the picture, so if you want to take an off-centre picture you will have to ‘lock’ the focus. To do this, first centre your subject and depress the shutter button half-way. Then recompose your picture so that your subject is off centre, ensuring you continue to keep the shutter depressed half-way. Finally, press the shutter to take your picture.

It is very important to know your cameras flash range. Most mistakes are made by taking pictures beyond the range of the flash, this causes pictures to be too dark.
You can get the flash range of your camera from the manual. If your manual doesn’t state your cameras flash range a distance of 10 feet is probably a good guide.

Light can make or break a picture. Try to choose a position that best suits and enhances your subject. Different times of the day will also give very different results. Try using the light of the early evening just as the sun has dipped below the horizon to capture some dramatic results.

Some pictures look better when taken vertically such as buildings, so learn to turn your camera.

Direct your subjects and watch your pictures come to life. Simple things such as props and location can change the way a picture looks. Also arranging people can improve your picture.