Simple things that make photos better

It's the simple things that count most in a photograph. Like simply framing your subject and choosing your lighting. OK, sometimes you don't have a choice - it's midday and you need to take a shot. But you can always move around, change angles, or use a bit of flash to fill in the dark. And for those sun-in-your-face situations you could even use the back-lighting to create a stark, silhouetted shot. That's the beauty of it - you can actually turn a difficult moment into a creative one; or a dull shot into something special.

So what are my key tips?

1. Firstly, keep the camera close by (you never know, do you?)
2. Always ask yourself, 'where's my subject?' and 'where's the light coming from?' Good lighting is critical to any shot and involves a bit of thought about shadows and contrast. If you can, shoot at the ends of the day. And ask 'do I need some flash here?'. Flash can 'fill-in' a dark area but can also make for a starker image. So don't use the flash unless it's really needed or gives the effect you want
   
3. And then ask, 'can I get closer to my subject?'; closer is usually better than distant, unless you want a group shot or a landscape of course! Macro shots can be dramatic, as well
   
4. Am I in focus? Sometimes you may want to try different focus-points to emphasise different things in your shot, remembering that depth-of-field changes with aperture, too
   
5. Ask also, 'is my subject moving, or still?' (This helps you decide on shutter speed and aperture, if you are into really it, or if you need to pan your camera with the subject's movement to avoid blur.)
   
6. Can I improve the shot by changing my angle or indeed moving the subject itself?
7. Have I thought about framing? By framing carefully you get what you want in the shot - things like heads, feet, the people or landscape you want
8. On the other hand don't forget you can crop and adjust later - so don't get hung up on the framing and freeze with your finger just over the button!
   
9. Shoot lots, you can pick the ones you like later (especially so with digital cameras!)
10. Don't be afraid to try different things, be a bit creative, and to practice, practice, practice!