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Tips for taking great photographs?

what are some tips for taking great photographs??? I mean Photos, not just snapshots...I'll be in the Grand Canyon and what are a few sites to capture unique and stunning views? Hoq would you compose a great photo??


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: there's a hundred things that you'll have to be thinking about, and i'll try to list most of them here, but my advice is to go out and get a book and really read it. anyway, here we go.

lighting-- natural lighting is always best. since i assume you'll be dealing with some sort of consumer grade camera, you wont' have to worry about exposure, but always try to use the lighting availible, not flash. it flattens objects and makes sure the view knows that they're looking at a photograph, not a real scene

horizontal or landscape? try both, depending on your subject. if you want to indicate movement, try holding your camera at an angle.

try not placing your subject in the excact center--this makes photographs look static and don't really give it movement. since you'll probably be taking landscapes, don't have the horizon line down the center. if you're taking a picture of the sunset, let the earth lie on the bottom bit of the frame. if you want a river, cut out most of the sky.

make sure your subject takes up most of the frame. don't let there be too many distracting things in the background, or the viewer's eye will just sort of wander. try to get rid of distracting elements.

try to capture a mood or emotion, no matter how strange that sounds. if you're taking a picture of the canyon, do you want it to look big and unsettling, or calm? how can you achieve that? it's right brain thinking, but if you really want it to be a PHOTOGRAPH rather than a picture, you need to reflect

if you're so lucky to have photoshop or something of that sort, try playing with the brightness / contrast / colour for some more added effects afterwards. don't really manipulate it, but you can puts some more darks in to give it that little extra umph.



again, these are just the basics, but if you have any more questions don't be afraid to drop me a line. there are some things like the three-fourths rule or the golden triangle and some more basic principles of art, and if you're not afraid to do a little research, i'd suggest heading over to barnes and nobles.

good luck! have fun!