Taking pictures with your digital camera is about as easy as picking up your camera and snapping off a shot.
But, to capture beautiful quality pictures, it requires slightly more effort.
Taking quality pictures has never been easier, now that digital cameras have many features like autofocus and auto-flash.
Still, here are some digital SLR tips to help supercharge your experience with digital photography.
1.
Get closer to your subject.
Don't be shy; get in there.
Most beginner photographers will make the mistake of not getting close enough to take a decent shot.
They'll instead shoot from far away, leaving too much distance between them and the subject matter of their shot.
By getting closer, you're able to fill up more of the frame, which is what you should aim to do.
Remember, that you can always edit a shot later to reshape or trim a great shot.
But, you're limited if you take a shot far away since you can't blow it up and expect the image to be focused.
2.
This might be simple and might even seem redundant, but make sure to focus your shot on only one subject matter per photo.
Decide beforehand what that will be and take a shot.
You can choose a background that has action, so long as the key person or object you're wanting to portray remains focused.
3.
Also, make sure that in your photos the background is simple, and not too "busy".
Otherwise, your background will be a distraction to the viewer and you'll lose the central idea of the image.
Anything that takes away from the focus of your shot can easily ruin your photo's appeal, so be very aware of that.
4.
Next, you'll want to be sure that the subject you're taking a shot of is in the middle of the frame.
What I follow for this is the rule of thirds.
Think of this like the game tic tac toe, but imagine every image you take has nine boxes, three by three.
The focus point of your photos should be where the tic tac toe lines cross.
That's a rule I follow and I'm consistently impressed at how much that technique alone can help.
5.
And finally, we've come to the most important element; lighting.
Since it's the hardest to control, take every effort to stage everything else.
If you are planning to take shots during the day, be sure to use a polarized filter at a 90 degree angle to the sun.
You'll want to open up your lens about 1 to 1.
5 stops to adjust for the lack of light coming through the filter.
If you're one of those nature lovers, it's good to know that the best time to take night shots is right after the sun is setting.
Consider using a polarized lens during a sunset, since it will limit the amount of light that's being taken in.
It's usually best to have the sun at your back when taking a shot.
Be aware of your shadows as well your subject's shadows.
6.
Always remember to use your camera's highest-resolution setting, since you'll be way better off to shrink a photo later, than to attempt to resize it bigger later.
These are just a few basic tips and strategies you can follow that will help to improve the quality of your photos.
Photography is a skill that can be improved upon with practice.
Get out there and start taking shots!