Your photos 10

Your photos (10)

Take Better Photos

Hints and tips
by Philip Grosset

Sunset

Click photo above
for contents list

with comments from Philip Grosset

"I have found great joy in taking pictures and would like to do it for extra money. Do you think I would be wasting my time. I have taken a lot of good pictures of people but only using the auto features. I have a Nikon N6006 which is an outstanding piece of equipment and I would like to learn how to use it to it's full capability. Any recommendations? Thanks, Veronica Bauer."

It's not easy to make money from photography, and I think you'd have a job selling the three photos you sent me. They are simply not arresting enough. To find out more about using your Nikon, start with the camera instruction book and try out all the various features. If you've got a local camera club, consider joining it and/or subscribing to a photo magazine that really impresses you.

Your photo of the Grand Canyon is attractive, but it's all a bit obvious. More foreground interest might have helped.

Your cat picture (above left) contains the potential for a good picture (above right), but it's a pity that the cat's head is dead central in your version, and that there's the distraction of a partly opened curtain in the right background.

If this is meant to be a photo of a lizard, it suffers from the disadvantage that you can hardly see it! It would have been...

... much better to have got in really close so that it can be seen more clearly, as here. Get closer still, and you could end up with a really arresting picture.

The weakest part of these pictures is in their composition. Decide exactly what it is you want to bring out in each photo, then get in close enough to show it really clearly.

"I have a Canon Rebel 35mm camera with an attached flash and an additional zoom lens. I hope to take pictures at a friend's wedding next month.
1. What speed film?
2. What other equipment might I need?
3. Do you recommend any specific camera settings or lighting hints?
THANKS SO MUCH!" ( Becky Beasley)

The film speed needed depends on whether you will be taking most of your photos indoors or out, and whether or not you want to avoid using flash. For most purposes, though, I'd recommend 200 ASA. You probably won't need any other equipment , although a wide angle lens is always useful indoors. If your zoom, as is likely, goes down to 35mm, this offers a reasonably wide angle. If your attached flash allows you to bounce the light off a light ceiling, this would make the result less harsh. Also try some shots of the bride and groom with backlighting from the sun, combined with flash. If there's an official photographer, you can leave the formal pictures to him/her, and concentrate more on informal amusing shots. Position yourself near the oficial photographer, then look out for characteristic close-ups that catch people off-guard! If you do have to take formal shots of the group, a tripod might be helpful.
You included the photo below, so here are my comments on it:

Congratulations on a very effective photo. You've caught the children at just the right moment, and they not only look very natural, but stand out clearly from the background. The result must really please you.

I've tried moving just a bit closer in. This has the advantage of moving them off-centre, but you no longer see the setting. On balance, I think I prefer the picture the way you took it!

Reply from Becky Beasley: "Thanks very much."

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