1. GET TO KNOW YOUR CAMERA. Spending time with the user's manual won't kill you. Some cameras even display tips onscreen while you're shooting, as pop-ups or in help menus. Use the advice; you'll be glad that you did.
2. KEEP IT CLEAN. Smudges, specks of dirt, and other schmutz ruin a shot. Stash your camera in a case; buff the lens with a microfiber cloth. Balanced, centered, gaze-into-the-lens portraits are boring.
3. USE THE RULE OF THIRDS: Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid within your camera frame and set your subject at one of the intersections. In a head-and-shoulders shot, align the subject's eyes with the top horizontal line of the (imaginary) grid.
4. GET UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL. Capture one part of the body—eye, mouth, bare shoulder—because details can be telling. You don't need a zoom for this. In fact, we recommend that you
5. USE A PRIME LENS, which has a fixed focal length. With this type of lens, you zoom with your feet (step back or forward) to compose your shot within the frame. A prime lens also often has a low F-stop rating.
6. ACHIEVE A SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD. Dial down the F-stop and pull your subject into focus, and the background will blur, creating visual separation.
7. PLACE YOUR SUBJECT IN AN UNUSUAL SETTING. Shots that take people out of their comfort zone yield unexpected reactions. But don't go nuts: Asking your nephew to pose next to the bear is not okay.
8. USE YOUR FLASH AS A FILL LIGHT to illuminate faces.
9. USE A SHEET OF WHITE PAPER TO DIRECT OR DIFFUSE LIGHT from a lamp or other source.
10. AVOID HAVING YOUR SUBJECT LOOK INTO BRIGHT SUNLIGHT, unless you like squinty eyes and ugly shadows.
11. SHOOT JUST AFTER SUNRISE OR BEFORE SUNSET, when the light is softer and the colors warmer.
12. SHOOT HIGH OR LOW: Odd angles add drama.
13. TAKE YOUR CAMERA EVERYWHERE—the best photos aren't planned.
14. BRING EXTRA BATTERIES AND MEMORY CARDS. Having a camera with you that can't do the job is worse than having no camera at all.
15. SHOOT MULTIPLE SHOTS AT A TIME. The second or third shot—or the fifth one—when your subject begins to relax, can be the best one.
Hmmm, nice tips, and what camera do you use for taking pics?
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