Top Tips
Ian Talboys' top tips for a great image
- Make sure the lens and sensor is clean, otherwise you will have spots on your photos
- 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
- Make sure the main subject is sharply in focus.
- If the subject has eyes, make sure at least one is in sharp focus.
- 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.
- Look for a different angle on the subject, get down low or up high.
- Leave space around the subject, with animals or moving subjects leave them ‘room to move,’ visually across the image.
- Take care with backgrounds and foregrounds so they don’t distract from the main subject.
- Don’t be afraid to crop the photo to improve the composition, to straighten horizons or cut out excessive empty space.
- 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
- Photograph something that makes you smile
- Think about your composition- try to stick to the rule of thirds
- Experiment. Sometimes the best photos are happy accidents!