If you ask two expert photographers how to take great pictures, their answers will often conflict with each other. The tips here can help you create quality, well-composed and balanced photos that show off your artistic ability and vision.

Stand close to your subjects to take better pictures. This allows you to eliminate backgrounds that are distracting, and it also makes it easier to properly frame what you are photographing. It will also help you notice facial expressions, which are important factors for all portrait photographers. The important thing to remember is that the small details that turn a good photo into a great one are easily missed when you are farther away from your subject.

When trying to take a good photograph, keep your technique simple. You can take a stunning picture even if you do not adjust the color or motion settings.

In a landscape shot, the foreground is just as important as the background. Great foregrounds help to show depth in a photograph and can really make for a beautiful shot.

And the tips just keep on coming! You need to experiment with shutter speeds. Your camera has settings labeled A,M,P, and S. The “P” on the camera represents program mode. This “P” setting automatically controls shutter and aperture when you shoot. If you don’t know what you’re shooting, use your “P” setting.

Protect your camera equipment while traveling. Packing it in a carry on may be your best option. Take the lenses you anticipate using, and don’t forget to bring along additional batteries and cleaning equipment. Don’t take more than you need, and think about what you can carry for your trip.

Write down a few notes when you take pictures. When you are looking through the many photos you have taken, it can be hard to recall the locations in which you took them, or your feelings as you were doing it. Use a notepad to jot down a few notes about the pictures you take.

Pre-focus your camera and move the lens slightly in one direction so that the subject you are shooting is slightly off center. Centering can be very expected and therefore not all that interesting to look at in a photo. Off-centering your shots in a variety of ways will make your shots more thought-provoking.

Try your hardest to make sure your models are comfortable, particularly those that you are not very familiar with. Many people tend to see someone taking photos as a threat. Ask permission before you start taking the pictures. Be friendly, and don’t be afraid of a little conversation. Help people see photography as an art form, not as a way to invade their privacy.

There are no secrets for being a better photographer. Do not stop taking pictures. With each image that you capture, you gain experience. It is not necessary to get all your pictures developed, or even keep them, which is especially true and convenient of digital cameras. Your proficiency will improve as you analyze your shots to see what you could have done differently if you could take the picture again.

One strategy to develop a creative eye is to use limitation. You might want to decide to only take pictures of “sweet” things, for example. Try taking 100 photographs, all from the same location, and attempt to make each unique. The limitations in this environment will help you to think creatively, resulting in more unusual photos.

If you set your digital camera to the lowest setting, you will be able to fit more images on your memory card, though you will also be sacrificing the quality of the pictures. Lower resolution settings should only be used sparingly. When your photography will only be viewed via a monitor, this option may be sufficient.

Consider lighting carefully when taking photos. Some photos are more striking when taken in shadow, while others need you to expose the subject’s highlights. You could possibly take two pictures of the same subject, and expose one of each type by using a program, such as Photoshop, to blend both of them into a high-quality shot.

When you find a brand that you like, that gives you great results, stick with it. You need a quality brand, if photography is going to be a hobby that you pursue for a lifetime. Although a lot of professionals might prefer certain brands, there are many other manufacturers that can provide similar results.

Use many different shutter speeds. If you are trying to get a good picture you would normally use the fastest shutter speed, but try the slowest for a different effect. Have a look at fast subjects such as cyclists, birds and cars. Your resulting shot will capture the bicyclist in pretty sharp detail, while the background will be blurred horizontally, indicating speed.

Remember, you don’t always have to hold your camera horizontally to get a good shot. Some very striking photos have been shot vertically. Zoom in for dramatic effect, and zoom out for head-to-toe shots.

The tips offered here have shared important information about photography. Now being better educated you can go take better pictures.