The Top 10 Techniques For Better Pictures(From Kodak’s How to Take Good Pictures)

1. Move close to your subject. Whether it is a village church or your daughter’s high school prom, get close enough so that you can see only the most important elements in the viewfinder. Failure to observe this simple guideline accounts for more unsuccessful pictures than any other photo mistake.2. Make sure that your automatic or adjustable camera is set to give correct exposure. If your pictures are too light or too dark, check the camera manual and the film instructions. On a manually operated camera, you must set the film speed, shutter speed and aperture. Many automatic cameras set these controls automatically.3. Carefully observe both background and foreground in your viewfinder before you take the pictures. Clutter or confusing elements detract from the main subject. Keep your pictures as simple as possible.Note: If your subjects are people, take the color of their clothing, skin tone and hair into consideration when placing them against a background. Dark skin tones, hair and clothing should be photographed against a lighter colored background so that parts of them dont disappear into it.4. You must take flash pictures within the flash-to-subject distance range for correct exposure with snapshot cameras. For automatic or manually adjustable cameras, the distance determines any adjustments to be made.5. Hold your camera steady. Shaky hands or pushing the shutter-release button too abruptly may give you fuzzy pictures. Brace the camera with both hands against your forehead and gently press the shutter-release button.6. Become thoroughly familiar with your camera. Read the instruction manual carefully so that you’ll be comfortable making adjustments under a wide variety of conditions. As you read the manual, keep your camera handy for reference.7. Place your subject slightly off-center. When shown dead-center in a picture, your subject may appear static and rather dull. Experiment to see where different subjects look best. Some cameras take square pictures and others take rectangular ones. If your camera takes rectangular pictures, you can get both horizontal and vertical pictures by turning the camera.8. Rather than posing people in a starchy, uncomfortable manner, engage them in a natural, absorbing activity to take their eyes off you and the camera. When people are doing something familiar, their bodies and faces will relax.9. Watch the direction of light in your scene. People usually squint in bright, direct light and the dark shadows are quite unattractive. Light from the side or from behind your subject may be more effective than light from the front. Picture-taking in the shade or on an overcast day may be better, too, if it is possible with your camera.10. Take plenty of pictures. Every professional knows that the potential for success increases when more pictures are taken. Think about some rare scenes you’ll encounter; film is far less expensive than a missed opportunity. 

The Top 10 Techniques For Better Pictures(From Kodak’s How to Take Good Pictures)

1. Move close to your subject. Whether it is a village church or your daughter’s high school prom, get close enough so that you can see only the most important elements in the viewfinder. Failure to observe this simple guideline accounts for more unsuccessful pictures than any other photo mistake.2. Make sure that your automatic or adjustable camera is set to give correct exposure. If your pictures are too light or too dark, check the camera manual and the film instructions. On a manually operated camera, you must set the film speed, shutter speed and aperture. Many automatic cameras set these controls automatically.3. Carefully observe both background and foreground in your viewfinder before you take the pictures. Clutter or confusing elements detract from the main subject. Keep your pictures as simple as possible.Note: If your subjects are people, take the color of their clothing, skin tone and hair into consideration when placing them against a background. Dark skin tones, hair and clothing should be photographed against a lighter colored background so that parts of them dont disappear into it.4. You must take flash pictures within the flash-to-subject distance range for correct exposure with snapshot cameras. For automatic or manually adjustable cameras, the distance determines any adjustments to be made.5. Hold your camera steady. Shaky hands or pushing the shutter-release button too abruptly may give you fuzzy pictures. Brace the camera with both hands against your forehead and gently press the shutter-release button.6. Become thoroughly familiar with your camera. Read the instruction manual carefully so that you’ll be comfortable making adjustments under a wide variety of conditions. As you read the manual, keep your camera handy for reference.7. Place your subject slightly off-center. When shown dead-center in a picture, your subject may appear static and rather dull. Experiment to see where different subjects look best. Some cameras take square pictures and others take rectangular ones. If your camera takes rectangular pictures, you can get both horizontal and vertical pictures by turning the camera.8. Rather than posing people in a starchy, uncomfortable manner, engage them in a natural, absorbing activity to take their eyes off you and the camera. When people are doing something familiar, their bodies and faces will relax.9. Watch the direction of light in your scene. People usually squint in bright, direct light and the dark shadows are quite unattractive. Light from the side or from behind your subject may be more effective than light from the front. Picture-taking in the shade or on an overcast day may be better, too, if it is possible with your camera.10. Take plenty of pictures. Every professional knows that the potential for success increases when more pictures are taken. Think about some rare scenes you’ll encounter; film is far less expensive than a missed opportunity.