When I was little, my grandpa taught me how to take pictures. Since then, whether I've had a digital camera or a phone on me, I've loved taking pictures. I got a DSLR camera for my 13th birthday and my obsession only grew from there. Now I am a photographer for a news publication at my school and am majoring in broadcast journalism. Here are some tips and tricks I've learned over the years for taking a great picture.
Disclaimer: These tips are for pictures with the outer camera, not for selfies.
On iPhones
-Use the camera app, NOT Snapchat, it takes much better quality pictures
-You can click the background of your shot to focus on a face or object
-For a portrait, hold the camera vertically
-For a scenic picture, hold the camera horizontally
-Don't even bother taking pictures in the dark with your iPhone unless there's a great light source in the background like fireworks
-After you take pictures, edit them with an app like VSCO
On DSLR's
-Always hold your camera horizontally (how it's meant to be held)
-Hold the button down halfway first to focus the lens
-Use the manual settings unless you're really in a time crunch
-Use the Aperture setting to change how much light enters the lens
-Use the Shutter speed setting to change how many seconds it takes for your camera to take a picture
And for general photography rules
-Use rule of thirds: you should be able to split your picture into three separate sections, both horizontally and vertically
-If you're taking a portrait picture, have your subject slightly off center, preferably to the right
-The best hour of the day to take portrait pictures is at sunset, that's when people look the best, it's often called the Golden Hour by photographers
So there you have it. I hope these rules help you with your photography. I know they help me. Enjoy taking pictures!