Here are some quick tips for taking better pictures under most normal situations.
- Pay attention! Photography is important!
- Avoid camera shake at all costs - shoot at shutter speeds at least above 1/60 or reciprocal of focal length for longer lenses.
- Avoid out-of-focus images at all costs - pay attention to focus points and your subject.
- Use Auto-ISO with a minimum shutter speed of 1/60
- In decent light, set your camera to Aperture priority (Av) and set Aperture to 1-stop narrower than the lowest f-stop supported by your lens.
- In late evenings or under low-light, set your camera to Shutter priority (Tv) and set shutter speed to 1/60 or faster
- Composition:
- Keep it straight
- Don't cut people's limbs
- Don't make people flowerpots
- Take multiple shots when shooting groups
- Experiment with off-center focus points
- Use prime lenses
- Use cloudy white balance outdoors and tungsten indoors
- Shoot earlier in the day or later in the day, avoid noon
- Use an external flash when shooting indoors
- Take photos in burst mode specially in low-light and keep the one most in focus
- Go with a simple exposure of "Av f/5.6 ISO Auto" for life's important moments!
- Use an external flash, set it on automatic and point toward the ceiling for indoor shots
- Use a tripod - make sure to turn off stabilization on the lens
- Use manual focus point selection to precisely select where you want to focus
- Post-process, post and participate in photo sharing services and social media
- Participate in a photo project
- Print photos, calendars and photo books
- Backup your photos!