Taking Good Photos - What’s the One Thing You Can Do to See Immediate Results?

“How can I get better at taking good photos” is a question a lot of frustrated photographers ask. There are so many solutions offered on the internet and in popular books and magazines. It is easy to get overwhelmed.

So let’s cut through all that confusion, and ask “If I could change just one thing, what would be the quickest way to start taking good photos?”

The first thing a lot of people think of is to buy a more expensive camera. Although that can certainly be valuable in the long run, it will not give you an immediate improvement. The one thing you can do to see immediate results is this: Train your eyes to see the world from an unusual, or unconventional viewpoint.

Taking good photos that will grab the viewer’s attention starts with seeing the world from a fresh and unexpected vantage point. Here are a few ways you can do that:

1. Instead of the normal, straight on portrait shot of your 5′ 9″ friend, find an elevated perch and shoot down from about three feet above their head. When they look up, you get an unusual and interesting angle which is not normally seen.
2. Move behind the kids sitting on that sand dune by the water. Deliberately avoid showing any of their faces. Snap them talking or focusing on building their sand castle. When someone views the picture later, they will have to use their imagination to fill in the faces. They will see other aspects of the picture like the patterns of shadow in the sand or the sparkle of the water. Normally such details are ignored when they have faces to focus on.
3. Take a shot of those colorful autumn leaves on the ground with the camera a foot or two above all the vibrant color. This is how a child sitting and playing in the leaves sees them, up close and personal. Most adults have forgotten how cool that is, and will enjoy the new perspective.

That’s a few ideas to get you started. Try those out, and then get creative with some ideas of your own to help you get much better at taking good photos.

Ron Martin, aka That Photo Guy, says: Kick it up a notch and head on over to Taking Good Photos to get insider tips and tricks for taking awesome photos with your digital camera.