| Want to make your next set of vacation photos | | | | the frame with part of an object. For example, if |
| really stand out? It's easy if you follow a few | | | | you are attending an antique car show, go ahead |
| simple guidelines to improve the composition of | | | | and photograph all the cars. But try for some |
| your photos. | | | | dramatic photos by taking a full-frame shot of |
| Composition is an artistic term for how the | | | | just a hood ornament. Or if you're photographing |
| various elements visible in your digital photos are | | | | a historic building, try capturing a tight shot of a |
| arranged. Digital photography gives us all kinds of | | | | unique architectural detail. |
| flexibility and control over the photos we take. | | | | 3. Try different vantage points - Most of our |
| Then through the use of digital photo editing | | | | photos show the world from about 5 1/2 to 6 |
| software like PhotoShop, we can easily improve | | | | feet off the ground. For a more dramatic effort, |
| how our digital photos look. Still our basic decisions | | | | try a different angle. Try photographing that |
| about composition are made when we take a | | | | antique car from the ground looking up - sort of a |
| digital photo. Here are some tips to improve your | | | | dog's eye view. If you can find something to |
| decisions which will then improve your photos. | | | | stand on, try shooting down for a bird's eye view. |
| 1. Rule of thirds - This is the most common rule | | | | Changing your shooting angle can make a big |
| for composing photos, and it can be very | | | | difference in how the same scene looks. If you're |
| effective. Just imagine what you see through the | | | | photographing a sunset over a lake, try taking a |
| viewfinder of your digital camera as divided by 2 | | | | shot from almost water level. The waves will |
| vertical and 2 horizontal stripes into 9 sections or | | | | stand out clearly against the water. |
| a 3 x 3 grid. You can use the rule of thirds by | | | | Digital photo editing software like Photoshop allows |
| placing the focal point (most important object) in | | | | you to reframe your photos. You can crop your |
| your photos right on one of those lines, instead of | | | | existing pictures to make their impact stronger by |
| in the center of the photo. For example, if you're | | | | applying the rule of thirds after the fact. You can |
| taking a photo of a landscape with a building in the | | | | also select a small detail in your larger photos to |
| scene, place the building in the top 1/3 of the | | | | crop so that it fills the entire frame. However, |
| frame, and fill the bottom 2/3's with the | | | | digital photo editing software cannot help you |
| foreground. Or if you're taking a photo of a | | | | much when it comes to camera angle. So when |
| sunset on the ocean, shoot the scene so that the | | | | you take your next set of photos, remember the |
| sky fills the top 2/3's of the frame. | | | | dog and the bird. Let your imagination run free, |
| 2. Don't be afraid of a close-up - Sometimes you | | | | and you can separate your photos from the |
| can create a very dramatic photo simply by filling | | | | ordinary. |