Top 10 Ideas for Great Photos

By: David Peters

1. Surf around the Web. Look at images at magazines, papers, on-line galleries and you'll find a wealth of ideas. Try the Gallery at shotaddict.com. Want more - go to flickr.com and look through tones of creative shots. Another useful source is VFXY, it displays recent posts from various photoblogs.

2. Enter online photography competitions. These can give you inspiration as they assign topics for your photos. The pressure can motivate you to shoot your best, and who knows, maybe you'll win a fantastic prize.

3. Plan a trip to a local zoo. Zoos have loads of interesting things to shoot and animals are always photogenic.

4. Frame your photo with thought. Think about the composition of your photo. Shooting the same thing from a different angle will produce an entirely different photograph.

5. Composition is king. Take time to consider the layout of your image. Imagine the photo in your head. Try and discover new angles and lighting- see things like you've never even thought of seeing before.

6. Watch movies. Movies can be extremely innovative in experimenting with lighting and concepts. So learn from them. After all, movies are just lots of photographs shown in quick succession.

7. Shoot in different conditions. E.g. iff you shoot in early morning, late in the afternoon or in sunset, the available light will add more depth, create interesting shadows and color changes for your convenience. Try to photograph places in fog - it will hide distracting background elements.

8. Carry your camera everywhere. Take at least one photo a day so you can keep a record of your life in a whole new way.

9. Shoot in different conditions. Shoot at different times of day for different lighting effects and atmosphere. Shoot in different weather for subtle changes of tone.

10. Take a photo a day and see your life in a whole new way. Remember that a camera that you don't have with you is a camera that's not going to take any pictures. So try to have your camera on you as often as possible.