I’m a photographer, clearly. So, it should come as no surprise that people ask me how they can take better photos. I recently answered this question and thought it was worth sharing. Here are some handy tricks you can use to make any photo look better.

1. Get close and then get closer. One of the first photos I took for my B/W film glass was a Heineken bottle under a tree in a neighborhood park. After I processed the film, what I ended up with were photos of a tree and if you squinted hard enough, you might have caught a glimpse of a Heineken bottle. I just wasn’t close enough. Yeah, the tree turned out nice, but it was not what I was shooting. Figure out what it is that you thought was interesting and make sure that’s what you’re shooting. Photographers (yup, that’s me) know that you don’t have to show the entire thing to tell a story. And most often, it tells a better story.

2. Don’t center the subject. When taking a photo of another person, most people stand back, figure out where the middle is and deliberately make sure that the person is smack in the middle of the frame. Don’t ever do this. I guarantee your photo will suck. No, I’m not being harsh. It’s just the easiest way to have a sucky photograph. There are very few times that it works and until you know when those times are, just avoid it. Put the person off to the right or to the left…and then get closer. (And don’t listen to them when they say they want to show their shoes in the shot. Nobody can see the shoes if you’re too far away. Want a pic of the shoes? Take a pic of the shoes.)

3. Change your perspective. I don’t mean to do that weird tilt that seems to be in nowadays. ( I hate the tilt. Again, it can work, but it rarely works. If you always take photos this way, I start to think one of your legs is shorter than the other and that’s how things get lopsided. Did I mention that I hate the tilt?) Instead, bend a little (or a lot), stand on a chair (if you really want to be fancy) or try leaning back (as long as you are somewhat flexible). Just find a way to change the angle. And remember don’t try the tilt business.

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