top tips for great photos
1. Get to know your camera and practice using all the different functions
available.
2. Always carry a spare film (or memory card) and battery so you won't miss that once in a million photo.
3. Watch out for the background, make sure that there is nothing intruding that will ruin the picture – poles sticking out of peoples heads for example. By moving your position either way (left or right) you may dramatically improve your composition.
4. Look after your camera. Keep it clean and away from extremes of temperature; be sure to use the lens cap when you are not taking pictures. It’s a good idea to have a camera case or bag to help to protect it from bumps and bashes.
5. Try long exposures at night to create unusual effects. This works very well when moving traffic is in the shot or when taking photographs of firework displays. Try both slow and fast shutter speeds for different effects.
6. If you don’t have a tripod, try to brace your camera against a wall, fence, vehicle, tree or other solid object. With a digital camera try not to use the LCD screen for taking pictures, the viewfinder gives a steadier stance (and saves the batteries!)
7. Take care not to look directly at the sun through your camera lens.
8. Don’t be afraid to experiment (especially with a digital camera) – look for more unusual compositions and don’t always place the main subject in the centre of the frame.
9. Practice makes perfect so go out and get snapping - keep your camera with you whenever you can. You just never know when the next great photo opportunity is going to present itself.
10. When away on holiday and your memory card is full - find a local photo lab and get them to transfer your files onto a CD-ROM. You can then happily delete your images in the camera and carry on shooting, secure in the knowledge that your earlier images are safely stored away.
