January 27, 2012 - Professional photographers often play music when they’re shooting in the studio, to help their portrait subjects relax. When photographing people, ask your subjects what music they want to listen to and then crank up the tunes. People smile more easily when they’re... Read more

January 26, 2012 - Don’t clean off your lens with a napkin or a T-shirt—they only spread the grease on your lens and can scratch the glass. Instead carry a lens cleaning cloth (you can get one at a photo store) and use that to get your optics streak-free. Be sure to blow off any dust... Read more

January 25, 2012 - In movies, streets at night are often wet. That’s because the reflections off water make the street stand out. You can get this effect, too, by photographing a street at night, right after a rain. Streetlights and even the tail-lights of cars look better on a wet road.

January 24, 2012 - Spend some time shooting textures; for example the look of cut grass, leaves on a tree against a deep blue sky, or pebbles on a beach. Your photographs don’t always have to have a person in them to be striking. Repeating patterns, both man-made and natural, are... Read more

January 23, 2012 - Good photography is about simplicity. Remove distracting items from your photos, crop out parts you don’t need and focus on what’s important. Often times it’s what’s not in a photograph that makes it work.

January 22, 2012 - If you’re photographing a sporting event and you see a bunch of people taking photos from the same spot, go somewhere else. It’s hard to jockey for position (pardon the pun) with a gaggle of photographers, and everyone ends up with the same photo. If you shoot from... Read more

January 21, 2012 - When taking a portrait of someone, you don’t always have to photograph their face or full body. Instead focus on details, such as a baby’s tiny feet or the calloused hands of a carpenter.

January 20, 2012 - If you’re photographing a historical site, try to find a new way to capture the beauty or importance of the scene. Look for small details, or try to capture the funny interplay between the historic site and modern life. A group of tourists wearing short-shorts in... Read more

January 19, 2012 - The best way to show off your photos is with a great photo slideshow, so think about the way your photos will look together when you’re shooting.

January 18, 2012 - Look for subjects that have lines disappearing into the distance (walls, railroad tracks, buildings, etc.) and make them a part of your photographic composition.