Build your photography skills with these tips.

CHARACTERISTIC	DESCRIPTION	ASK YOURSELF	
LIGHT	Light quality describes the source, amount, and direction of lighting in a photograph. Light can come from natural sources, like the sun. You can change or create light by using lamps or a flash. Light can be diffused by clouds or by putting a veil of cloth over a lamp. The direction of light is also important: it can come from above, behind, or the side.	•	What is my light source for the image?
•	What direction is the light coming from? 
•	Are there interesting shadows in the image?
•	What message does the light convey?	
ANGLE OF VIEW	Angle of view is the position from which you take the picture. You can shift the angle of view to make interesting images. Angle of view can also express emotion or mood. It can give the viewer a sense of being small, if looking up, or a sense of being big, if looking down. 	•	What mood do I want to convey with my image?
•	What angle of view will best convey that mood?
	
COMPOSITION	Composition is how you present a subject. What you exclude from the camera frame is as important as what you include. Composition includes several factors:
Point of Interest—Make one thing the main subject of your photo; it keeps the picture from being too “busy.” However, you do not have to center this point of interest. Keeping the point of interest off-center can make the picture more dynamic. 
Rule of Thirds—Imagine you could draw two imaginary lines through your scene, dividing the scene into thirds. Try composing your photograph so that each element in the scene falls within one of these thirds. For example, if you are taking a picture of the ocean, the beach can be in the bottom third; the ocean in the middle third; and the sky in the top third. 
Simplicity—Tell one story with your picture. The story is about why you took the picture.	•	Does my image have one point of interest?
•	Am I following the Rule of Thirds?
•	Why am I taking this picture? What story do I wish to tell? 	
CONTRAST	Black-and-white photography has the unique characteristic of tonal contrast. A high-contrast scene consists of primarily white and black with few or no gray tones. Normal contrast contains very white, very black, and gray tones. In low-contrast scenes, all tones are similar. High contrast signifies strength and power and low contrast conveys softness and gentleness. 	•	What mood am I trying to convey?
•	What type of contrast would best convey this mood?
•	Is my scene high or low contrast?
•	Can I change the contrast?