Top Tips

Ian Talboys' top tips for a great image

1. Make sure the lens and sensor is clean, otherwise you will have spots on your photos
2. If you have a living subject, get to know your subject and the best time to find and photograph it for the best light without causing disturbance to it
3. Make sure the main subject is sharply in focus.
4. If the subject has eyes, make sure at least one is in sharp focus.
5. Remember the rule of thirds, keep main horizontal elements a third from the top or bottom, vertical elements a third from the left or right sides.  Where the lines of the vertical and horizontal thirds cross is usually the best place to put a subject.
6. Look for a different angle on the subject, get down low or up high.
7. Leave space around the subject, with animals or moving subjects leave them ‘room to move,’ visually across the image.
8. Take care with backgrounds and foregrounds so they don’t distract from the main subject.
9. Don’t be afraid to crop the photo to improve the composition, to straighten horizons or cut out excessive empty space.
10. Photograph something you like or enjoy looking at and enjoy the challenges it may present to get that perfect image.

Claudia Cunningham's top tips for a great image

1. Photograph something that makes you smile
2. Think about your composition- try to stick to the rule of thirds
3. Experiment. Sometimes the best photos are happy accidents!