High noon is only for cowboys!

Timing is everything when you're shooting and unless you're in an Old Western, you'll avoid high noon...

But seriously, the time of day you take your pictures can make a big difference in the results you get.  For photos at the beach or around water, the best time is early morning or late afternoon.  At these times the light is "warmer" (more orange) adding a nice healthy glow to skin tones. (It's a science thing...)

Keep it Simple for Big Results

Clutter in the background of your photos detracts from the main subject.  Look for simple backdrops, away from other people when possible (or move in close to eliminate extra people).  Watch out for things "growing out" of your subject's head from the background - such as lampposts, telephone poles, trees or branches.  A backdrop of a brick wall, the side of a barn, a sand dune or a big leafy bush can make interesting but calm setting for well composed portraits.

Be Prepared At All Times

Time after time the best shots of kids are taken when kids are doing what they do best...being kids!  With the compact size of today's point-and-shoot cameras there's no excuse for leaving your camera behind.

If you're off to the beach, a picnic or rafting...keep your camera in a zip-lock style poly bag to help protect it from water or sand damage or other hazards like pop spills, dribbly ice cream, snowballs...

See Eye To Eye For Happy Endings

We all have the tendency to "shoot from the hip" - this is: stand up, put the camera to our eye and click.  But all too often we miss the best view, especially with scenic shots, because we didn't experiment.

Next time you're ready to shoot consider kneeling, sitting or even lying down for a better perspective.

Pick A Prop And Score Big Points

It's not unusual for people to squirm when they're faced with a camera lens, so give them something to do that makes them feel more comfortable.  Just having something to hold or pose with can make a big difference.  On the slopes, have you subjects hold their boards or skis.  At the beach give children a bucket and shovel or a big beach ball to show off.  You can have fun with props such as hats, ice cream cones, flowers, whatever.  The family pet usually doesn't mind getting into the album too.

Actually It's Fill..Fill Flash To Be Precise

A trick used by professionals to eliminate contrasty shadows on sunny days.

For instance, when strong sunlight is directly above your subject you'll see dark shadows cast in the eye area and under the nose, lips, chin, etc.  When the sun is behind your subject their whole face can be in shadow.  Not very flattering.  But easily fixed...

Be Careful with That Expensive Camera!!!

There are places and events to which you may not want to take your camera for fear of subjecting it to harmful elements.  Snow skiing, salt water locations, any water (like the first 10 rows a Shamu-the-killer-whale-show) hot deserts or extreme cold.  Or social events where others may want to borrow your camera to grab some rare moments.

Um-Which Lens?!? (Did I Do That...)

If your camera has a zoom lens, watch how you use the wide-angle setting, avoiding it for close-in people shots as it will make foregrounds appear larger.  Nobody will thank you for supersizing their nose!

If you only have a wide-angle lens (less than 50mm) available, you can still do a portrait if you back up and then have the lab crop the image to a portrait when it's time to print.

Change The World.  At Least Your View Of It.

Color filters are used to enhance and change the mood of your photographs.  Today's single reflex lens cameras (SLR's) calculate exposure settings automatically so you can just choose a filter, screw it onto the filter holder and you're ready to shoot.

If you're using a point-and-shoot camera that does not have a filter attachment you can simply hold a filter in front of the lens while taking you photo to get results like our sample photo.

Turn Your Camera No - Not The Other Way!

Now listen up!  The idea is to fill as much of your viewfinder with your subject as possible.  Extras stuff in the background doesn't add much to the story so size up the situation and if you don't need a wide (or landscape) frame, turn your camera on its side to get a vertical (or portrait) frame.

Where's The Sun? Must Be Portrait Day

We tend to think more about grabbing the camera on a sunny day.  But did you know that overcast or foggy days are great for shooting outdoor portraits?  Contrary to popular belief, overcast days provide excellent lighting for this type of photography because it is soft (no hot spots or glare) and does not create hard shadows.

Near And Far...Yes, You Can Have It All

For landscape photography, depth of field (the distance between foreground and background) is an important consideration.  Most photographers want their landscape photos to be sharp and in focus from the foreground to the distance - like our sample.