--4-- Get the right angle: How to take better pictures with your Sony Mavica FD-7 Digital Camera

Take one step closer to a better picture. I tend to like cropping my subjects as close as possible-- even if I end up chopping parts of their heads off. The tighter crop gives the picture a greater sense of intimacy.

Clean up the colours

I once heard a photographer say "if you think you have the perfect picture, take one step closer and then take the picture." This is especially true for the Sony Mavica which really excels with taking pictures of table top sized objects. Photos of landscapes get all mushy lose detail. Groups of people work best for three or less and even then you have to squeeze everyone in tight. Bottom line is that you want as much of the object to fill as much of the frame as possible. Sounds simple, but you would be surprised to see how many pictures lose their subject in a sea of irrelevant detail.

Next issue we'll look at evening shots, photos in action, and using the sepia option for pictures with sharpest detail.

back to the start

TIP #5: Change how you view your subject
Photo #1: Start with your neighbour Your stuck in a crowd, want to capture the excitement of the parade, why not start with your neighbour? This will quickly give a context and reference for the finer details in the picture. Tilting the camera not only adds effect, but also includes more of the relevant feature (more of the kid in this case).	Photo #2: Look up Here he looks ten feet tall, yet often when we take pictures of kids we are looking down on them. As a rule of thumb, I imagine the horizon and then try to put the head and shoulders above that line.	Photo #3: Place an anchor For wider landscape shots, I find it best to place an "anchor" or dominant object in the foreground. It's a good place for the eye to enter the picture and start its journey deciphering the details.	Photo #4: Use the parallax to your advantage The wide end of your zoom will distort objects and straight lines. Be creative and use this to your advantage. Here, for example, I took a picture of the Vancouver Library roof by squeezing as much into the picture by tilting the camera and using the widest zoom.