How to Capture a Great Photo

I have worked as a photographer and photographer's assistant for years now, and people always ask how they can get their pictures to come out looking like they were taken by a professional. Here are some tips to make your photos look stunning.

-First and foremost, you need to have a fairly good camera. If you're using a digital camera, you've got to have at least four mega-pixels. Otherwise your pictures are going to turn out looking cheap. You don't have to drop a fortune to get a nice digital camera. You can get a pretty nice one for about $200.

-My favorite thing to do is take candid shots. That means people just being real or not realizing that they are being photographed. You can set kids up to be shot in stiff poses with fake smiles until you are blue in the face, but sometimes it's best to let them play and get them being natural. That's how you're going to want to remember them anyway. If you're trying to get someone to be photographed laughing, tell them to bust out the biggest fakest laugh they can, after they do that, they will show you the best real laugh that you could ask for.

-Don't photograph too far away. I hate nothing more than a bunch of background. The point of a picture is to see the people. Don't be afraid to get close to your subject!

-You don't always have to have their entire head in the picture. I love, especially with children, to zoom really close into them and just capture their adorable little faces.

-Experiment with angles. You can have all the horizontal and vertical pictures that you want, but the really cool, artsy pictures are on cool angles. Try shooting a few pictures with your camera only angled.

-Most people think a great picture happens when it's sunny. They couldn't be more wrong! You should pray for overcast skies! It give you soft, natural lighting! Being in the sun makes people squint and creates shadows. If it is a sunny day, find some shade and shoot your pictures from there.

-Have fun! When you're taking pictures of people, often times, they are are really nervous and smiling very fake. Make sure that you talk to them and make them feel comfortable and throw in a little comedy so they will smile for real!