Improving Your Photos: Get Close - Hints for ambitious Photographers

A Word About Zooming If you have an optical zoom capability on your digital camera, use it to fill the frame with your subject when taking photos. I hesitate to recommend using the digital zoom feature of your camera, however, except in emergencies. It's a lower quality zoom, resulting in fuzzier images.

Use Your Judgement
As in all things, there are exceptions to every rule. You wouldn't necessarily do the same thing if you wanted to show off the new fence to family and friends, or boast the new landscaping you've just completed. In this situation, you would want to back up a bit, but probably not as far as you'd first think. Experimentation is the key. One of the biggest mistakes new digital photographers make is not taking enough photos. No need to worry about film, just delete what you don't like and keep shooting. Take photos of your subject and vary the positing you're standing in. Try taking a few photos with the camera held in a vertical position. Move 2 feet to the left and snap one or two. Shoot one or two without a flash, then fire it up and shoot a few with the flash.

Remember, you don't need to be right on top of your sister, kids or the pet dog in every future photo opportunity, but chances are moving in a little closer than you're accustomed to will greatly improve your photos overall. Even if you do nothing other than get closer to your subject, your pictures will improve.

The wonders of image editing allow for easier cropping and zooming these days, but it's far easier to start with a great image than have to create one with edits. Now go shoot some photos!

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