One of my favorite tech writers, David Pogue, wrote an article for The New York Times this week, offering five tips to take better photographs. The really great thing about the article is that it’s intended for average people using average point-and-shoot digital cameras. I thought tip number 3, instructing photographers to force their flash when shooting outdoors, was a great one that I often forget.

If you’d like to read David Pogue’s article and get all five of his tips for better photographs, just click this link:

www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/technology/personaltech/18pogue-email.html?_r=1

In addition to those Pogue talks about in his article, I’d like to give you a couple more tips of my own that I’ve picked up from experience and by talking to professional photographers. These apply when you’re taking basic portrait style photos:

1. Have your subject pose in front of a wall or background of a different color than what he or she is wearing. For instance, if I want to take a photo of my friend and she’s wearing a white shirt, I would try to find a dark colored wall for her to stand in front of. This technique creates a nice contrast, and it ensures that your subject will stand out in the photo.
2. Have your subject close their eyes for a moment, think a happy thought, and then open their eyes just before you snap the photo. Your subject will look more relaxed and natural (i.e. less posed) when you do this.
3. Have your subject crouch down (or stand on a higher plane than them), if your subject has a bit of a double chin. At this angle, double chins are much less noticeable.

I hope some of these tips will help you take better photos during the holiday season and beyond! And if you have any great tips for taking better photos with your digital camera, please post them in the comments section. I’d love to learn some new strategies and I’m sure other readers would too.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and I hope you have very happy holidays!

Copyright © 2008, Kathy Keating and TechKathy.com. All rights reserved.