Photography: How to Take Better Photos

It is suprising nowadays just now many images have been very heavily photoshopped. Photos which look great, but nevertheless have had significant editing and post-production done on them afterwards to make them stand out.

What can you do beforehand in order to ensure great photography?

Here are a few guidelines:

Allow people to be natural


Give your subject something to hold. If their hands are busy it’s usually enough to distract them from the fact they are being photographed. Hand them something and then walk away. Pull up a chair and ask them to have a seat. When people are sitting, they will almost always be less rigid and uptight than when they’re standing. No longer is it a formal photographer and subject situation. Immediately, things feel more casual. Another good idea is to get them chatting about something. Get them talking about a hobby, their family, an amusing story. Once you can get people laughing, capturing great photos will be a lot easier.

Capture the emotion


Get them to run through the full range of emotions.

Shout out: "Let me see a sad face!"

"And now you are frustrated! You are trying to open the lid of a jam jar!"

"You just opened your telephone bill and are very surprised at what you see there!"

This will get people loosened up and you can quickly break the ice. Different people have different levels of comfort in front of a camera. Getting to know your subject's level of comfort will benefit the quality of photography. Remember to keep an eye out for those 'In-Between' moments. At any point in time, when you are not paying attention, a great scene might happen.

Be Ready for Action


From the start of a photo session, always be ready. Keep your camera in hand. Anticipate the unexpected and unplanned moments. Some of the best shots will be the ones right after the shot that your subject was expecting. When they relax the forced smile and exhale and stretch out their legs, that might be the exact moment to have your finger hovering need the button to snap a wonderful moment in time. And with animals and children, of course, it's the time that you least expect it that you will catch that great shot!