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Everyone wants to be a master photographer. But it's not as easy as grabbing a camera and shooting a masterpiece. There's a lot of work photographers put into taking magnificent photos. Below are a few tips and tricks that can give you a leg up on the other amateurs and have you on your way to taking great photos.

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It takes experimentation to learn which shutter speed works best in different settings. You can capture both a fleeting image or a long time-lapse photograph. Traditionally, fast shutter speed is used for motion while a slower speed is used for still scenes.

Be creative when composing your shots. Photography is all about the visual effect of your shots. If it's a mundane item in a cluttered background, chances are good that no one will care to look at your photo. Learn how to create a good photo, and then take those skills and apply them to your own creative ideas.

If you are planning to take pictures outside, reevaluate the lighting every 10 minutes, as lighting is constantly changing. Adjust your angle to get the best possible shot and illuminate the features that you are trying to highlight. Planning in advance is very important for producing quality photos.

Pay attention to your light. The lighting in a photograph can bring a subject into better focus or change the mood of the picture. Different lighting setups will result in very different photographs. Avoid harsh direct lighting on your subject's face, as this will generally cause them to squint.

Learn about composition rules. Practice and experiment with these rules to create unique pictures. For instance, organizing a picture around diagonal lines gives an impression of depth. You can also play with colors and gradual nuances to give an impression of movement to a picture. Do not follow the rules blindly, but learn when to use them.

The "S" stands for shutter speed. Use low shutter speed to get sharp pictures when capturing moving objects. Set the shutter speed to higher speeds for creating a more experimental picture. This is a cool feature to use when getting photos of fireworks or tail lights on a car. It is an easy way to get artistic features in your photos.

When traveling, take pictures of your food. Take the time to play with lights, colors and compose your pictures. You might get used to the food by the time you come back home, but these pictures will look very original to you and your friends later when you reflect back on your trip.

Photography needs to be a fun experience. Photos should be taken of things you want to remember later on and show others, whether it be an event, a location or even just a space of time. Just remember to have fun while taking photos, you will be much happier and want to learn additional skills.

Along with taking shots of people, objects, nature and animals, also take pictures of your souvenirs when you travel. You could put the souvenir next to the store you made the purchase. You could even frame it next to your hotel pool. You can tell the story about your souvenirs from the pictures and enjoy the memories once again from home.

With this newfound information about photography, you are well on your way to taking better shots. You will enjoy spending less time deleting pictures and rustling through the catalog looking for the right picture. Just apply this information to what you already know and watch your photographs come to life.