Confessions of a Compact Camera Shooter: Get Professional Quality Photos with Your Compact Camera

Chapter III. Top Tips for Great Digital Pix

Throughout this book you'll find hundreds of tips on how to get the most out of your compact camera. But for those of you who want to jumpstart your photo-learning fun, I'll share my top tips for great digital pictures before I get into specific camera features and benefits. Many of the topics in this chapter are covered in more detail later in this book.

But why wait? Let the fun begin!

An Interesting Subject is Key

I know this sounds like a ridiculously basic tip, but it's truly fundamental. An interesting subject is one of the most important requirements in being able to make a good photograph. Even more than your tools and prowess as a photographer, the top reason that the photographs in National Geographic magazine look good is because the subjects—in each and every photograph—are interesting.

You need to seek out interesting subjects. They might be landmarks, landscapes and cityscapes, wildlife, people, pets or some other magnificent thing; but if you plan to show and share your work, the subject should have universal appeal. Otherwise, if you plan to take pictures for only yourself and your family, then a family member engaged in some activity is, no doubt, an interesting subject—to your family.

Go for Good Composition

"The name of the game ...