9 Rules for Taking Photos

1. Make the subject obvious. Decide what someone should notice first, then move until the background helps: a step sideways can remove a lamppost from someone’s head or a bright trash can from the frame.
2. Find good light before choosing your shot. For portraits, start beside a window or in outdoor shade, where light softens shadows; turn the person toward the light so their eyes catch it.
3. Don’t be afraid to shoot darker. Your phone’s dynamic range is limited, so lower the exposure to preserve detail in bright skies or sunlit faces; you can often brighten shadows later, while blown highlights may be lost.
4. Look for clear geometry. Repeated windows, curving stairs, or diagonal shadows give a photo structure—change your angle until those shapes stand out from the clutter.
5. Avoid cropping people at their joints. Put the frame’s edge between joints—around mid-thigh or mid-upper-arm—because cuts through knees, ankles, elbows, or wrists can make limbs look accidentally cut off.
6. For portraits, step back and use modest zoom. Shooting inches from someone’s face exaggerates their nose relative to their ears; changing your shooting distance corrects those proportions.
7. Make the important detail sharp: wipe the lens, tap your subject to focus, and hold the phone steady. In dim light, brace your hands; moving children or pets need more light because steady hands cannot prevent subject blur.
8. Wait for something to happen. Take a few frames as someone laughs, turns, or walks into the right spot, then keep the one with the strongest expression or gesture.
9. Every rule can be broken, but only if you know WHY you’re doing it. Tilt the horizon to create unease, let a person become a silhouette to emphasize their outline, or blur a cyclist to show speed.