Esme’s Five Easy Steps to Improving Your Photography

Step 1
Move in Closer
Closer
I said, “Closer!”

Step 2
Use more of your film
Avoid wasting film on walls, ceiling, floors or the sky, unless they are your subject matter. Most people know that the sky is up there.  No need to include it. (Remember Step 1.)

Step 3
Use your flash outdoors
The flash will even the contrast, fill in the shadows, and sometimes help the exposure.

Step 4
Learn to pre-focus
The circle or brackets in the middle of your viewfinder is the point of focus.  Focus on the most important element in your image.  Lock in the focus and recompose.  (See Step 5.)

Step 5
Compose with impact
Move the center of interest away from dead center. Imagine a tic-tac-toe board imposed on your viewfinder.  Impact points are where the lines intersect. (See bull’s-eyes.)

Remember, that circle in the center of your camera is a focusing guide, NOT a target.

Advanced steps:

Step 6
Check the background
Make sure there isn’t anything distracting behind your subject, like a tree sticking out of someone’s head.

Step 7
Check the edges
Run your eyes around the edges of your viewfinder to make sure there isn’t something extraneous  sticking into the image