by Jack Davies

Created on: June 23, 2008   Last Updated: July 26, 2010

Photography is becoming more and more of an 'amateur's' game thanks to the range of affordable and effective cameras on the market and so whether on a relaxing family vacation or action packed trip with friends, brilliant holiday photos are easier to achieve than they have ever been.

Whether you are photographing symbolic subjects or your friends and family, getting creative with your composition adds individuality and always has a greater effect on an audience. This means paying special attention to how you organize the various elements in each photo. It is easy to achieve creative and professional looking photos. For example, try off-centering your main subject. Instead of placing your main subject in the center of the scene try balancing the main subject of the photo with an interesting scenic background to the side.

With the advances in camera technology, zoom capabilities are now readily available and most cameras include this feature. This means you can move in close - a friend photographed in front of a confusingly dynamic background, for example in a party, will not come across well, but using zoom you can focus the camera around your subject much more specifically.

If you want to try something that will be sure to get a reaction, set your camera to a slower shutter speed - anywhere from 1/2 second to 2 or 4 full seconds (most cameras have the capacity for this variation, consult your cameras instruction booklet if unsure). If you then purposefully move the camera while taking the picture it will create a soft blurred effect which, when carried off, looks very artistic and professional. Even better, rather than moving the camera manually, zoom out with the zoom function to give a more clear but equally effective image.

Flash is an undoubtedly useful aspect of a camera. However, the light from flash units - especially from the tiny on-camera flash units found on most cameras - tend to produce harsh, flat, and cold light which is rarely complimentary. Instead try to use as much natural light as possible or turn on lights etc. Also, don't confine your use of flash to indoors. Although it is not always necessary, flash will get rid of unwanted shadows and can make a photo really eye-catching.

Not being able to predict the future has always been a problem faced by photographers, so learn to be assertive with the camera. It is easy to miss a golden moment so always carry a camera with you and be ready to take a photo at a moment's notice. Ironically, this

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