Denton County Living Well Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 12

Digital Photography:
Three Simple Steps to Improve Your Images

T

he marriage between digital imaging and the
smart phone has created prolific growth in the
world of photography. In fact, Facebook announced in 2013 that its users had uploaded more
than 250 billion photos on to the site, at a rate
of 350 million new photos per day. At that rate, Yahoo!
estimated 880 billion photographs would make their way
onto the Internet in 2014; and National Geographic said,

Fill the frame
Including background clutter is a common mistake when
taking pictures with a phone, due to the nature of a fixed
lens. Simply walk towards your subject until they fill
your screen, then snap away. By leaving less negative
space around your subject, you will reduce background
distractions and improve the overall composition of
your photograph.

Don’t forget the flash
So many times, we depend on our phone’s automatic
setting to determine whether or not we need a flash.
Follow this simple rule to avoid shadow covered faces:
If your subject’s back is to the sun, use your flash. Yes,
in the daytime. This will bring your subject’s face out of
the shadows and they will become the focal point of the
photograph, just as you intended.

Get on the level
This tip is crucial when photographing children or pets; and
especially helpful if you’re much taller than those around
you. Shooting down on your subject makes your picture
seem detached and impersonal. Position yourself at eye
level with your subject before you take the picture. It may
feel a bit strange, but the results will change the way you
photograph forever.

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DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | WINTER 2015

By Stacy Apple
in 2015, at least 50% of those will be taken using camera
phones.
Since, we’re uploading pictures at a rate of more than
27,000 pictures per second, let’s talk about how to make
these images worth sharing. These tips can be applied to
photos taken with your phone or any camera shooting in
automatic mode.