Want to Take Great Pictures? Ten Tips you NEED to Know

Even if you consider yourself a photography expert, it's good to revisit the basics. Meanwhile, if you've just bought your very first digital camera, you'll be keen to get started on taking great photos. From framing to settings, here are ten tips you need to know.

1. Use portrait and landscape - frame your shots in portrait and landscape. A good tip is to follow the lines of your subject - so if you're photographing a building you'll want to try a portrait shot, but if you're after a wide skyline, use landscape mode.

2. Get to know the machine - a digital SLR camera behaves quite differently to a point and shoot. Read the instruction manual, experiment and get an idea for how your particular model behaves. You don't want to be messing around with camera settings at the wrong time and miss your photo opportunity.

3. Don't put your subject in the centre - putting your subject slightly off centre will make your photo more interesting. Professionals suggest the rule of thirds when it comes to framing your shot.

4. Try different perspectives - experiment with different angles such as taking photos from up high or low down looking up at your subject. Get on your knees and take photos of children from their eye level.

5. Compose your shot - make note of everything in the frame. Be aware of branches growing out of your subjects' heads or other elements that could ruin your composition.

6. Get close to your subject - use your zoom to take close ups of faces. For both candid and portrait photography, getting up close and personal will let you capture the emotions of the moment.

7. Try different camera settings - automatic is a great starting point, but experimenting with settings will give you stunning effects. Try different settings and you could be amazed with the results.

8. Use the features that come with your camera - your camera will come with different modes for various situations. Use the night mode when taking night-time portraits. Meanwhile, the Action Mode minimises the blurriness that is caused by movement.

9. Keep your hands steady - Tuck in your elbows and keep your stance wide to give you better balance - or use a tripod for optimum results.

10. Enjoy the moment - you don't want to miss your kid's winning goal because you were too busy trying to work out your camera settings! Enjoy the moment, whether it's a speech, a sporting event or just a pretty landscape. Your photos will complement your experience.