1. Be selective

Take a careful look at the scene and decide immediately what is most important to you. Try this little exercise. Picture yourself in 20 years time flipping through an album of precious memories. Perhaps the person you are remembering has passed away. What would you like to change about the image to make it more memorable? If you could go back in time, what would you have excluded from the photo? You are getting the opportunity to decide now what will be the memory later. That leads to the next point.

2. Exclude Clutter

Clutter is a part of everyday lives but we don’t want to remember it in our photos. All of us have this problem after we have taken a photo. We leave too much in the photo that is not necessary. Getting back to the previous point. In that precious photo what do you consider unimportant and not necessary in the image? These are items you want to exclude and take the opportunity to include more of what you really want into the image. Again this leads us on to the next point.

3. Give your subject most of the attention

In order to do this you must make the subject the centre of attention. Pretend it’s a Hollywood star and make it the star attraction.  All of sudden the subject becomes more prominent and anyone can tell who or what the subject of the photo is. It should hit you front and centre and say without confusion, “I am the subject”. If the subject doesn’t shout “I’m the subject” then it’s not the subject.

4. Get in closer

By doing this you automatically do point 2. Exclude all the clutter and unnecessary elements of an image. Things that you really don’t want to remember in ten or twenty years time. This should be logical. All of us dream of better cameras or lenses that will get us closer to the subject. So, use your feet. Walk in closer and fill the image with your subject or just a part of the subject, unless of course it’s a lion in a safari park. Most times you can use your feet to get in closer and this will immediately improve the image and make your subject more prominent.

5. Change your perspective

In simple terms this means move around and find a different location from where you can shoot, or, a more interesting angle. Changing your angle from right in front of your subject to a lower or higher viewpoint will give a completely different perspective. Lie on your stomach or back, climb a ladder or go down some stairs giving you a vantage point for great images.

Key to great subject placement is thinking outside the box. And key to this is plain old thinking. Give more thought and time to your image before clicking the shutter button. The old saying that goes, “time is money” can be equated to “time is quality”. The more time and effort you put into your photography will result in better quality images. There are a number of other ways you can improve your image but by putting into practice these simple principles will give you immediate photographic success.

So why is changing your angle or viewpoint so important? Everyone shoots images from straight in front of the subject and they all look the same. When you look at photo books or magazines, do the photos look like that? No, because the great photographers know that if you change your angle you will get a better photo.

So how do we change our angles? It’s very simple, but may be a little embarrassing at times. You need to decide how important getting the shot is.

1. Bend at the waist

By simply bending at the waist and reducing your height by half you change the angle of your shot. Try it. You’ll either be looking up towards your subject by reducing your height or with children getting to the level of their eyes. Both of these changes will make a more pleasant photograph and improve your photography dramatically.

2. Kneel

How often do you kneel when taking a photograph? This not only gets you down to the level of children but also gives a new perspective on all other subjects. It’s not that embarrassing to do in public either.

3. Sit down

Now you are approaching embarrassing territory. Again it reduces your height and you start taking photos that others never take. How many people do you see sitting down in public? I don’t recall seeing many. Try doing this more frequently and looking up towards your subject. It works especially well when shooting a group shot.

4. Lie on your stomach

Talk about a unique angle, then this is it. I never see people lying down taking photos. So your images will definitely be unique if you choose this position. It may seem a little embarrassing and you’ll probably be self conscious on the first few occasions you try it. But, once you get used to it you’ll find that it will give you a most interesting angle. To get over the embarrassment factor choose times when there aren’t many people around and you’ll find out just how profitable it is.

5. Lie on your back

This is as embarrassing as lying on your stomach but just as profitable. Shooting up from this low definitely adds a unique aspect to your images. It works well with buildings and similar subjects.

To prove my point, try the following exercise in the comfort of your own home before trying it out in public. Find a good subject about 10 feet or three metres away from you. Now stand and take a photo. Move in a few feet and shoot another by bending at the waist. Do this again from a kneeling position and then sit down flat on you backside and shoot again. Then finally lie down on your stomach and shoot the final photo.

Compare all five photos and see if any one of the angles is more interesting than the one you took from the traditional angle, standing up straight. I can guarantee you that one of the angles will be far more interesting than the first upright shot. Finding new and interesting angles will always improve your photos. And, if at any stage you think of selling your images it will be these ones that will sell the most. People like photos that aren’t the same as everyone else’s. Don’t ever be afraid to try a new angle.