COMPOSITION
Composition is an important part of photography.
Be creative. Look for a composition which will lead the viewer's eye into the scene.
Try to compose your shot prior to releasing the shutter. Move your camera around your subject, find an interesting angle and determine the perfect direction of light.
You can use the framing technique to bring more attention to your subject. A window frame or a tree can be a great frame for your subject.
NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Sometimes a good night time shot will require some determination as well as technique.
Due to the low lighting, the shutter will be opened for longer period. Therefore a tripod will always be handy to stabilise your camera for capturing a sharp image.
To eliminate any movement to the camera, you can use the self-timer function to release the shutter.
Select the lower ISO speed if your camera is mounted on a tripod as the low sensitivity will produce an image with the least noise.
PANNING
This technique can be applied to shots involving sports and car racing.
Lock the focus on your subject and try to follow the direction (and speed) of your subject by panning your camera while pressing the shutter release button.
Your subject will remain in focus while the background will appear blurry, adding a sense of motion to your image.
You will need some patience to obtain the best result out of a few shots.
CLOSE-UP
Most digital camera are equipped with a Macro mode specifically designed for close-up shots.
To capture a close-up image of a flower or a portrait of a person, you can select the lowest F-value on your camera's Aperture, eg. f/3.5.
This will create a shallow depth-of-field. Hence your subject standing out sharp against the blurry background.
You might find a polarising filter enhances the colours of your image by making the grass greener and the sky darker blue.
LANDSCAPE
To capture a landscape image with fine details in the background and the foreground, you have to select the highest F value on your camera's Aperture, eg. f/22.
This will create a high depth-of-field.
A polarising filter can increase the saturation of your image by making the grass greener and the blue sky darker blue.
RULE OF THIRDS
The rule of thirds is an essential photography
technique to improve the composition
and balance of your images.
Divide up your image using 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines. Position the subject in your scene along those lines, or at the points where they meet.
Now your images will look more attractive than the boring "right in the centre" shots.