1.Shoot at Eye level. Whenever you look at a portrait you first look at the eyes of the person, hence to get better portraits shoot at eye level & most importantly put the subject at ease & in good mood. Asking the subject to just smile is not enough. Creating a right mood with a good humour, music or ambience is very important to make those eyes sparkle.

2.Place the subject Off center. It appears more dynamic & leads the eye to the scene or tells the story. This is called the rule of the thirds &; is often used by all professionals. Shooting the picture dead center makes the picture dead & lifeless.

3.Explore Different angles. Don’t just shoot from where you get down from the car or from you are standing. Walk a bit, climb some stairs, ask some people about the place & shoot lot of pictures. You can always choose from the lot.

4.Choose Backgrounds carefully. Again shoot portraits carefully. Do not let cluttered backgrounds interfere with your subject. Here you can use a small secret. Just use the zoom in case you cannot avoid the background as the telephoto makes the background blur. But otherwise try to select a plain backdrop.

5.Get Up Early. The best times to shoot landscapes, portraits (outdoors), flowers etc is up to 2 hours after sunrise & just 2 hours before sunset. My experience shows early mornings as better than evenings especially for winters & hill stations as we can capture the fog, people & animals in their best moods. Plus you get a good chai. Also while shooting landscapes include some foreground elements like an arch, branch of a tree to frame the picture.

6.Use Flash Outdoors? What? Yes you should be using flash outdoors too to avoid dark shadows under the eyes, neck. This happens especially during noontime, when the sun is directly above your head. In the night urge people to face some bright light so that you do not get red eye effect. Finally wait a few extra seconds even after the flash is charged to get a brighter picture.

7.Study & Use Light Properly. Early morning & late afternoon light is good for portraits, landscapes, architecture, and nature. Hazy/ Cloudy light is good for portraits, architecture, and nature. Side harsh lighting is good to bring about texture in the subject like wrinkles in an old person. In the same way soft hazy light is good to flatter a good-looking woman with a glowing skin.

8.Be a Photo Director. Ever wondered that you can be a director of photography. It’s very easy. As I said earlier don’t just shoot. Think. Suppose you are shooting a group of people. Think of innovative ways to pose them. Shoot from some creative angles & they too would respond with good ideas

9.Get rid of Horizontalitis. Everybody shoots horizontal pix because it is easy to hold the camera that way & get used to it that way. But if you start shooting some verticals you will get to know a new perspective in life. Portraits look stunning because backgrounds are cut off the rest I leave it you discover……

10.Finally Keep Shooting. The best way to learn is shoot and learn & not theorizing & I am sure you guys are shooting. You can always contact me at gunshe@gmail.com or call me (9849191550) before you plan any photo trip.

Cheers...