At the parade today I watched a woman taking photos of her kids as they posed on top of a metal pig statue. Cute poses, cute kids, but the photos are going to be rubbish.
She was taking the photos with the sun directly into her face (at the kids’ backs); without a fill flash. The result will either have visible kids with a completely blown out background, or the kids faces will be so dark they won’t be distinguishable.
There are three basic things I wish everyone knew about photography:
- Understand your light source. Have the light behind you when you are the one taking the photo.
- Fill the frame. Use that little zoom button or get closer to your subject so they are filling up the shot you are taking.
- Learn the rule of thirds. Especially when taking photos of people, don’t just center the head in the middle of the picture.
I’ll now yield the floor to my friends that know more than I do about photography – please share your “I wish people knew X” tips and educate us all in the comments. I know just enough about photography to know I still have a lot to learn.