How to improve your Glopho photos

Top tips that may help you get the most out of your camera

Think you're not up to scratch enough to publish and share your pictures? Well of course you are!

Technology has been an enormous leveller in that respect, and we all now have the potential to be reporters and photojournalists with little more than our smartphones

But to help you get the best out of your camera, whatever you use, try following these top tips to get some better shots

Get as close as you can

Being right in the middle of the event will help you understand what you need to photograph and it means you can make sure the subject fills the frame.

Be selective

Don’t shoot wildly at everything and anything, but pick your subject and concentrate on capturing what you want. Move around as much as you can and explore the subject from every angle, and consider shooting from very low and very high and get a more interesting perspective into the shot.

Look around the subject

Keep focused on your subject but don't be afraid to photograph objects around the main subject, especially as they can provide great context or humour.

Get on with it

Don't get weighed down by having the right equipment. It's amazing what can be done with a simple camera and a fixed lens. A compact digital camera or smartphone can conjure some amazing shots too.

Know your stuff

Whatever equipment you use, make sure you know how it all works. And then forget about it. You don't want to miss a picture whilst you're fiddling about with your camera.

See the light

Be aware of the light. If there's enough natural light then wherever you can, use it. If it's flash you're using then try and balance the available light with that from the flash. Fill-in flash is often a great way of lifting an image and removing shadows on someone’s face, for example.

Balance

Check the 'white balance' settings on your camera - don't presume that one size fits all

Go wobbly

Remember, your subject doesn't have to be in the centre of the frame, and by shooting off-centre you may be able to place other objects into the shot that help to give it more depth or feeling, such as a background car or road sign

Don't stop

If you think you've got the picture you want already, keep shooting until you've run out of time. You can never go back and try again if it turns out you were wrong, or the image isn’t quite right.

Practice practice practice

Shoot lots and lots. And then more. Practice is a wonderful thing, and will help you get better over time. Try and take a camera with you most places and keep an eye out for interesting compositions.