Get The Best Out Of Your Digicam

There are people who shoot pictures and there are people who compose them. The difference is that while the former is merely capturing memories, the latter is making them look good. Owning a good digital camera is only half the battle won. Knowing how to frame a perfect shot is what separates a vacation photographer from a pro.

Taking a beautiful shot is not too hard once you get the idea of what the photo composition requires. Simply follow our five basic rules, and see an immediate improvement in your pictures. No need to go manual, no need to purchase anything; all we ask is you look at your subjects differently.

We begin with the golden rule:

1. The Rule of Thirds
Though this rule is definitely not an absolute or necessary, it’s still amazing how well it applies in most cases.

The rule thirds states that a photo can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by the intersections of these lines can be used to place the subject in the photograph. This technique makes the photo more aesthetically appealing and also more professional looking.

The gridlines representing the rule of thirds

Most modern digital cameras these days have display modes that give you the above gridlines in the viewfinder or the LCD display itself, to help you easily apply the rule. Even if your camera doesn’t, its not too hard to apply the lines using your imagination. Here’s how the rule helps in real world application:

The image below has the main subject, i.e. the park bench, bang in the centre of the composition, making it look, well, like a picture of a bench.

But when we apply the rule of thirds to the same subject, it makes a world of a difference, as can be seen below.