By Macy Toguchi

At some time in your life you have been the photographer behind the camera. We take photographs to record special family events like births, weddings, and family gatherings. We also like to use photographs to record other special events, such as parties or celebrations with friends. When you are behind the lens of a camera it is up to you to compose the photograph. Ideally, this is done without cutting someone's head out of the photo, or including all sky with just faces lining the bottom of the photograph.

Composition is one of the first steps for learning to compose great photos. The second step I learning to improve your technical skills with your camera. Photography is considered an art, but there are elements of skill involved that can be learned and perfected. If you excel in one area at the expense of another, it will be reflected in poor photography.

One important key to taking great photos is learning where to stand in relation to your subject. You must figure out which angle looks the best and position the subject in the frame accordingly. Any variation in composition, including placement, can make the difference in an awesome photo and a photo that you need to ditch.

A monotonous mistake made by most beginners is that they think they have to center the subject in every photograph. Logic dictates to take the photo from the center, but sometimes if you move the subject off center you will add a new dynamic to the photograph. A great way to learn to compose pictures is to apply the rule of thirds. Using this concept divide the frame into three parts horizontally and vertically. Place your subject on one of the intersections and you will be able to compose a dynamic photo. The only setback to using the rule of thirds is that it does not work for all photographs, but in general, it is a good rule of thumb.

Improve your technical skills with your camera will also help to improve your photos. The more you know about your camera, the more creative ways you will discover to take photographs. The most important skill to master is focusing. You cannot salvage a blurry picture, not even using digital enhancement. A blurry photograph may as well not have been taken, that is how important it is to learn to focus.

It is easy for beginners to either over expose pictures or under expose them. Learn to use your lighting conditions to your advantage. Realize that flashes work when you are close to a subject, but not too close. Flashes are useless more than 20 feet away from the subject. Understanding these concepts will save you a lot of wasted photographs. When you want to take pictures at a distance, it is best to set up a tripod for stability, and allow a little longer exposure. Mastering exposure techniques will make a dramatic difference in the clarity and quality of your photographs.

The key to learning photography is to take lots of pictures. Practice. Practice. Practice is the key. The more time you devote to photography, the more improvement you will see in your photography skills.

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