Take your time

Whn you are getting ready to push the shutter button, stop and really look at your image. Is it exactly what you want to see in your picture? A common mistake most people make is trying to include too much in their pictures. Try to isolate the most interesting part of what you are seeing. This way, the viewer knows what to look at. You want to draw the viewer into an image, and have their eyes travel through the image. Many images are more interesting when it isn't immediatley obvious what the picture is of. Check out this picture I took of some interesting ferns:The focus of the image is more on the individual leaves than the entire grove of plants, which is what initially drew my attention. There is really a lot more to look at in this picture than having taken a picture of all the fern plants together. There are plenty of diagonal lines and details to keep the viewer's eyes moving around.

Try taking this approach to all your photos - not just artistic pictures, but portraits too. Who says a picture of your friend has to be a face on, centered image? Don't be afraid to get up close and really isolate the most interesting part of your subject. Happy shooting!