Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Photography 101

Lets face it, the photos we use for scrapbooking can make or break the project. We thought during tutorial week it would be fun to talk about some great digital photography tips to help you capture those special moments with the loved ones in your life.

First lets talk about the rule of thirds.

The basic concept behind the rule of thirds is to divide your image into 9 parts.

The diagram above illustrates where you want your main focus in your image. As you view your image in the view finder or LCD screen imagine try to imagine this grid and align your main focus up with one of the red circles.


Placing your subject slightly off centered creates more visual interest, and is a more natural way for the eye to interact with the subjects. It also helps create a sense of balance.

Next lets talk about angles.

Angles can create such a different look and feel for your photos. When shooting kids, or animals I often will take many images to try and get the best shot. When doing this try different angles so you don't always have the same image over and over again. See the examples below.



The images above are great examples of what is called "birds eye view". The birds eye view is one of the best ways to shoot children, and also helps your subject to open their eyes wider, and can also eliminate double chins and such (we all love that!).


Next, we'll discuss focus. To help create visual interest, notice what your camera is focusing on.



See how great the focus is on this dog. It really helps the viewers eye look where you intended.

One last tip. Image editing is a huge part of getting the perfect shot! It's a great investment to purchase image editing software such as Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or iPhoto, or take advantage of using the digital printing machines at your local photo processing store. These can be an inexpensive way to help you edit your images also. And last but not least, don't be afraid to crop your image.

So now that we've gotten that out of the way, lets do a GIVE-AWAY!!!

Leave a comment and you could be the lucky winner of the BLOCK PARTY COLLECTION.

Have a great Wednesday.

185 comments:

  1. I love the dog photo!!!
    I need to learn to take better pics!!

    =)

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  2. I agree the dog photo is super cute. They're all very well done, I like them all. I love the depth of field you get when focusing on something close up but still catching the background. I also like the tip about eliminating the double chins LMAO.

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  3. Thanks for the tips! And that doggy photo was so cute!

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  4. Thanks for the great article. It's always nice to have a reminder of the best ways to take pics.

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  5. love that doggy nose, great tips :D

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  6. Thanks so much for the photography tutorial....I am always looking for tips to make my pictures better!! You're the best.

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  7. Wauw, great tips on photography! I want to learn to make better photo's and I love the one you showed us. Thank you so much.
    Hugs Ingrid

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  8. Thank you so much for all the tips and techniques, they'll help me a lot! I never thought about that focus square for example, but that definitely makes a picture a lot better! And I love the sunflower and the dog pictures... great work!

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  9. Great tips! And I love Block Party!

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  10. Great pics!!! I'm always trying to get/create better photos.

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  11. The dog is brilliant....my photography skills definately need improving!!

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  12. Thanks for the tips! I love taking pictures and scrapbooking them, and I'm always looking for photography tips, so Thank You!

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  13. Great tips... I kinda miss the days of film cameras, you had to be a better shot, you didn't have instant checks to okay the picture.

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  14. great photo tips! love the dog picture! the shots of the little girl are great too!

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  15. Dear BoBonny, will you please adjust your blog setting so that the whole feed is sent to RSS readers? Right now, only the first few lines are sent to RSS reader, such as GoogleReader or Newsgator. Thank you!

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  16. Great photos and tips, I always forget about the 1/3 rule, until I am printing the pics....then the light comes on and I go "oh yeah, I should have ....." lol

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  17. Now, if only I could get my dogs to sit still like that!!!

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  18. thanks for the reminder of the angle photo shots. I have been trying this and your angle shot reminds me to try more of that with head shots.
    ava cottagerca@yahoo.ca

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  19. good tips. I love all the pics above!

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  20. Very cool - loving all the cool ideas for taking photos!

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  21. Thanks for the tips! I'm always looking for ways to take better pics! Thanks for sharing!

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  22. Photo tips are always worth sharing. Thank you :)

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  23. I can always use photo tips! Thanks for sharing and for a chance to win!

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  24. always love some new photo tips!!! and wonderful photos!!! thanks

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  25. I just bought a new Canon camera and love the photos it takes - thanks for the tips!!

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  26. great tips, I really like the birds eye view tip! I'll have to try that with my kids!

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  27. This info was very helpful, always have a problem with taking my childrens pics, they all seem to look the same and I just can't get the "right" look. Love the Angle tip, think I will try this. Also thanks for the info on the shoto editing software, have photoshop elements but going to look into IPhoto. Love reading along on your blog and viewing all the layouts. Great Job!!!

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  28. MY camera has that sq thing, i never knew why it was there, and now i do thank you xx

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  29. Great tips! Love the dog photo! I wish my dogs would stand still for a photo!

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  30. Those are some great tips! And the photos are beautiful!

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  31. I agree PSE is fantastic....I edit almost all of my photos!

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  32. Thanks some really great tips! Hugs Alesia

    scrapaholicaef@yahoo.com

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  33. Thanks for the tips! Love the little girl with the sunflower!

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  34. BEAUTIFUL little girl! I love the sunflower!

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  35. wow those are some great photos.. thanks for the tips...I will certainly be trying some of them out...and soon...

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  36. Totally love these tips - it should help me with my photo taking and make my scrapbooking look so much better... PSE however I am having trouble with!

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  37. Thanks for the tips! I am new at photography and have been trying to learn new ideas for getting better pictures.

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  38. Thanks for the fantastic tips! I will put them to good use ;)

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  39. Nice tips, thank you!

    Scrapbooking has definitely shown me that I need to improve my photography skills, so I always appreciate helpful info aimed at us "regular" photographers... no confusing terms about lens size, etc. :-)

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  40. Well, all the photos are great, but that one with the little girl looking up at the camera is definitely my fave! Thanks for counting me in on the giveaway! Becky G.

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  41. Great tips. I'll be trying a couple of them next time i take pics. Thanks for sharing!

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  42. Love tips and the photos. Will give it a try.

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  43. These are great tips! I know about the rule of thirds, but do you think I remember when I actually take the picture! NO! LOL! Thanks for the chance to win.

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  44. These are great tips! I know about the rule of thirds, but do you think I remember when I actually take the picture! NO! LOL! Thanks for the chance to win.

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  45. ooo, these photos rock!!! I really love the sunflower girl shot taken from up high. AWESOME!

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  46. Great tips!! Would just love to win some Block Party!!!

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  47. Love the digi age, I just keep shooting till I get a great shot, and even then with all the photo-editing software out there, alterations can add so much to create a gorgeous piccie.

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  48. Thanks for the great tips!! Love the example photos

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  49. Great tutorial. Thanks. I can always use tips for photography.

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  50. Thanks for the tips, and the opportunity to win some Block Party!

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  51. Thank you Bo Bunny for the tips :)That dog is adorable! Oh and also for the chance to win ;)

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  52. what a great tutorial...tks so much....and thank you for the chance to win a great giveaway...I adore Bo Bunny....

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  53. Great photo tips! I'm always looking for ways to improve upon my photography :)

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  54. Thanks for the photo tips! Great pictures too! I need to keep these in mind when shooting!

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  55. Thanks for the tips! I'm always looking for new ways to use my camera... wonder if I could get my dog to sit still enough for me to replicate that photo?

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  56. Great information...thanks!

    My tip for you...get GIMP (gimp.org) instead of PhotoShop. It is free and every bit as good for the average user. I call it Faux-toshop!

    :o)

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  57. That dog photo is wonderful!! Great tips! Thank you!

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  58. Thanks for the tips-I will use them on vacation in a couple of days;)

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  59. It'a all about getting a good photograph - thanks so much for the tips! And that puppydog nose - too cute!

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  60. Thanks for the tips! Love those photos.

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  61. Thank you for all these tips! And the pics... WOW!!!

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  62. Oh, I can't wait to try some of these photo tips the next chance I get.

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  63. Aww that photo with the sunflower and little girl is totally amazing! She looks so happy

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  64. These photo tips are fabulous, now if I can only remember to incorporate them! :)

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  65. The photograph of a face vivid of the child is wonderful.

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  66. I like it in scrapbooking when the emphasis is on good, but regular everyday photographs. To me that is the essence of our wonderfull hobby.
    Love these tips and the pictures. TXS BB....

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  67. Thanks for all of the tips. Now if only I could get my active 3 year old to stay still or smile that would be great...Both at the same time is too much to ever hope for.

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  68. Love the tips...
    Thanks,
    Bo Bunny is the best!!!

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  69. I love how changing the angle of the picture also changed the mood of the photo too.. The little girl with the sunflower would have been cute straight on but the angle really added a whimsicle almost cartoony feel to the picture that made it much more fun! Thanks for the great tips and giveaway!

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  70. Thank you so much for these great tips, now I will have to have a play and see if my photos look as great as these!!!!!!!

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  71. I hope these work for me because block party is awesome!

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  72. Great tips, thank you! The perspective on the dog photo is fantastic!

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  73. Great tips! Photos are so important. Thanks!

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  74. Great tutorial! I'm learning that if a shot doesn't turn out, crop it for something else. And I'm trying something new for me, "shooting from the hip". I've done some really cool layouts with pics that I never looked at the screen to take" by the way, I adore your blog!

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  75. Great tutorial! I'm learning that if a shot doesn't turn out, crop it for something else. And I'm trying something new for me, "shooting from the hip". I've done some really cool layouts with pics that I never looked at the screen to take" by the way, I adore your blog!

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  76. I love this tutorial week. And the photo tips are classic but I always forget...probably in the heat of the moment! Great tips!

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  77. Great tutorial! It's nice to get a refresher course every now and then! Love the puppy!

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  78. Thanks for the great tips. I really need all the help I can get.

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  79. Great tips! Thanks for sharing!

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  80. These are all great tips and the photo examples are amazing!!!

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  81. Wow! Great tips!! I will have to keep them in mind when taking pictures.

    Thanks for the great information!!

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  82. Thanks for the tips! The pics are great!! I'd love to win! I think this is the only line this summer that I don't have ;).

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  83. Some great times there. Thanks for sharing.

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  84. Love all the great tips this week, especially today's on photography. I learn something new everyday, thanks!

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  85. Thanks for all the tips. those pictures are so great.

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  86. Love photo tips - more please! Love Block Party and could really use more for all the fun July 4th photos I took :))

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  87. Great tips, thanks! I'm always struggling getting good photos of my two girls who are NEVER still! LOL

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  88. These are great tips. I just need to remember them in the midst of taking pics.

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  89. great tips! I will pay far more attention now when I'm shooting!

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  90. great ideas - I love the photos too.

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  91. Thanks for the awesome tips! :)

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  92. I think i need to invest in a new camera!!!

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  93. Fabulous photos and tips! I'm going to have to play around with my camera a little more to see if I can't come up with some better photos. Thanks for sharing!

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  94. Thanks for the wonderful tips! Always good to think about taking photos instead of just taking them.

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  95. Love the bird's eye view photo. Do this a lot in my studio. Thank you for acknowledging the photos. As a photographer and former photo lab employee, I have felt for years that not enough focus has been put on the quality of photos being scrapped. Salut to you!

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  96. Thanks fir the photo tips! Such beautiful examples too!

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  97. Thanks for the great idea about "bird's eye view" - I'll try to have any future photos of myself taken that way! LOL

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  98. The dog photo was the best. I really live the girl and the sunflower too.

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  99. Love the tips!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!

    scrapbookaholicbyabbyatyahoodotcom

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  100. Great tips, keep 'em coming. I use the rule of thirds all the time, now it's by eye but when I started I used the grid feature available in the camera, made it so easy :)

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  101. Thanks for the great tips! Please keep them coming :)

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  102. Awesome photos! Thanks for the tips!!!

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  103. fantastic thankyou! i will be using this in my layouts to come

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  104. AWESOME!!! Love it! Thanks for all the photo tips! :)

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  105. thanks for all the photo tips! i still need a lot to learn!! :)

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  106. Thank you for the great photo tips! Bo Bunny is my favorite vendor - I can't wait to see what you have come up with for fall & winter!

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  107. great photos! I've been working hard on taking better pictures but sometimes it seems there is so much to remember!

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  108. Thanks for the reminders. I find my "subjects" don't sit still long enough to get really good shots, how about some ideas (short of super glue) to get better on the move shots or make me look slimmer? Just love your blog and all of the inspiration!

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  109. Great tips - I am still working on the focus(dog) one!

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  110. These photos are incredible! I really must make an effort to learn more about photography! Thanks for this bit of info to get me started!

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  111. Great tips! I'd love to win some Block Party.

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  112. Love the angles on these photos, especially the dog - how adorable.

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  113. These are wonderful tips. I can't wait to give them a try. Thank you!!

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  114. These are wonderful tips. I can't wait to give them a try. Thank you!!

    (sorry, I got all clicky and was anonymous the first time)

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  115. I just love all BOBUNNY products.Thanks for a chance to win some prizes.

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  116. I love all BOBUNNNY products. I also love the tutorials that are given. Thanks.

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  117. what great photos - I really need lots of practice with my camera :( thanks for all the tips xx

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  118. Thanks for the fantastic tips. I LOVE Bo Bunny Products. :)

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  119. love the photo angle of that little girl holding the sunflowers. great tips you've shared!

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  120. thanks soooo much for the tips!

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  121. Thank You! Great Tips. Love the Sunflower photo and the Dog photo. I will be keeping those tips in mind!

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  123. Awesome tips! I love the bird's eye view.

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  124. I see things better now that you explained. Love the dog photo

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  125. Oh, I love this tutorial! I knew those things but it helps to reinforce them! I really love the dog photo too; it reminds me of pictures my sister might take. Thanks for the chance!

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  126. Love your cute pup photo! Nice tip on angles.

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  127. Thank you so much on the "rule of thirds" tutorial...sometimes I just need a reminder such as this to help me get photos!

    Grandma Shelley

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  128. Great tips and love the dog!

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  129. Great advice! And I need to try a picture like that with my dog!

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  130. thanks for great tips! need to review good picture taking every so often

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  131. Amazing photo tips and beautiful photo examples to boot! Thanks.. will work great for all those summer photos of my son to come!

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  132. The little girl with sunflower pic is adorable and the dog photo is so 'classic' retriever in pose. Thanks for the terrific tips.

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  133. Great tips, especially love the one about angles.

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  134. Thanks for the tips. I'm always looking for ways to make my photos better.

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  135. Thank you for your tips. I especially like the tip about bird eye. I will try it.

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  136. I love tutorial week! Just so much information in a few minutes of reading. Thanks a lot! I totally agree with the photo editing. I only use iphoto but just a few clicks and the photo looks better. Thanks for sharing!

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  137. Thanks so much for all the photography tips and looking forward to many more! So many great photos there wot an inspiration!

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  139. Hi,i really love the photos,specially first one.Thanks for sharing such a useful tips on photography,its really adorable and unique.
    Digital Video Recorders

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  140. Thank you for such wonderful tips. It is easy to forget the basics when behind the camera.

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  141. Thanks for the tips, I love the girl & flower shots.

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  142. TFS those tips! I would love to win block party thank you for the chance!

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  143. Thanks for the photo tips! I want to learn lots more about taking pictures and making them look great like the samples you have! Keep the photography 101 coming please. :)

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  144. Great tips. Love the photo of the dog.

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  145. what a great post and photos!
    I must try to take more interesting photos

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  146. awesome pics !! thanks the tips !

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  147. Thanks so much for this great tip and I love the dog photo since I am a dog lover!

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  148. Great tips. I also use Picnik.com It's an online program and free or fairly cheap with lots of different effects and things you can do with your photos. I love it!

    Corinna

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  149. These tips are great. Now if I can only get my husband to try them.

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  150. I try to keep the rule of thirds in mind when i'm cropping pictures for a LO!

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  151. Thanks for the tips! I like the one about getting rid of double chins the best!

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  152. Awesome pics! I have heard about this--but have trouble trying to do it when actually taking my pics!

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  153. THe little girl smelling the sunflower is absolutely beautiful!

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  154. Thanks for all the photo tips!

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  155. I so love the dog photo, how cute! I'm useless at taking photos, really need to get better! xx

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  156. The tips are great!! Block party is a great line!!

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  157. I have wanted Block Party since I first saw it on here. I asked my lss to get it in...still waiting though :( So, thanks for the chance to win it!

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  158. Love that picture of the dog. I will remember your tips when taking photos. TY

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  159. I love the second photo of the little girl - is that a fisheye lens?

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  160. Fabulous tips...love the doggie pic.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  162. Those are great tips! Can't wait to pull my camera out and play!

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  163. Great ideas, thanks for sharing!

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