Unit 1: Photography

Capturing photos using Photography Composition rules/Photography Principles

Editing the photos to enhance your image

Simplify: Get rid of excess objects — the water bottle on the picnic table, the junky papers — that clutter up the background; make the canvas as "blank" as possible.

Closer: "A lot of times people take pictures too far away," explains Dalesio. Get close and closer to your subject. That doesn't mean using the zoom option; it means "Zoom with your feet."

Angle: Be creative as you're taking your picture. Try to find an unusual angle from which to shoot. That could mean standing on a picnic table or tree stump and looking down or lying on the grass and shooting up.

Rule of thirds: The best compositions are often the ones where the main subject is either in the right third or left third of the image. So shift the image that way.

Even lighting. If there's some kind of shadow across the face, move the camera or the subject around to eliminate that. Usually the best time to take pictures is early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the lighting isn't as harsh. Foggy days are great for taking pictures — or overcast or even rainy days.