Recently I got into a somewhat heated discussion at a Camera club meeting and immediately wished I hadn’t. It was the same old fight. Yet again it was the subject of Photographic purity, the alleged softness of zoom lenses and the argument that you can’t use filters because ‘that would be changing reality’. These “sacred cows” of the photographic gerontocracy need to be slaughtered - once and for all.

We all love to take pictures of our kids. Here are seven simples steps to taking better pictures of your children.

Surf photography always seems to be the preserve of professional photographers shooting pro surfers doing the pro circuit for nice glossy surf magazines.

A good subject in itself does not mean a good photo. Composition, lighting and color make important differences to the final image. But there’s another aspect of your image that’s just as significant as the subject - the background. Often photographers are so excited and so intent on taking the pictures that they forget about everything else in the frame. We’ve all been guilty of that.

Photography is all about framing. We see a subject - and we put a frame around it. Essentially, that is photography when all is said and done.

Creativity is at the heart of photography.

Most people who have a camera and enjoy taking pictures long to produce imaginative images, even if they are only family snaps or holiday photos. Interestingly, it is rarely the camera that is the preventative. Let’s look at some consumer cameras and combine them with the techniques that will allow you to photograph some great pictures…

Any camera can take a well composed picture, so let’s start here. Some basic composition tips are;

Making your images dynamic often means viewing your world from a different perspective. While most people view their universe from an average height, photograph yours from a viewpoint that others seldom consider.

Posing people in your pictures can sometimes be a nightmare. The simple act of pointing your camera at a person can often make them feel uncomfortable. Here are some simple things you can do to make the process easier.

Ian Rolfe discusses ways we are able to see and photograph the reflected colour and liquid motion of nature’s water features…