Since I wrote up a handout for the participants anyway, I thought I'd share the tips with you. There's nothing too fancy here, just some basics. Hope it helps.
- Have an idea of what you want to get before heading out, but leave yourself open to unexpected opportunities. (Some great things can happen by accident!) Ask yourself these questions: Do I want shots of people, landscapes, still life, or action? Will it be rather traditional or more artistic? Do I want the finished image to be in color or black and white?
What do I want to say with this picture? What do I want to express? - Pay attention to details: Colors, Textures, Lighting, Shadows, Background, Contrasts, Combinations
- Framing - Finding Balance: Rule of Thirds: Mentally divide the viewfinder into thirds vertically and horizontally. Place the focal point of your image at one of the intersections. Align edges with the 1/3 lines. If you are shooting a group of people, align their eyes with the top 1/3 line.
- Safe-Action Area: Choose what is important in the image (the subject) and focus on it. Avoid what is unnecessary.
- Keep the sun behind the camera. To keep the subject from being in silhouette, unless you’re going for a specialty shot, keep the sun (or other light source) to your back so the subject is properly lit. Try to avoid casting your own shadow on the subject – again, unless you’re doing a specialty shot.
- Be as steady as possible. To make sure you have the best focus possible, try to stay very still as you are hitting the trigger. Use a tripod if possible. If you don’t have one, support yourself with a tree or wall, etc. Take more than one shot of the same thing so you have a choice later. (This is also a good idea as you’re learning how to frame things. Take shots where the subject is framed differently so you can see what looks best.)
- Give your shots personality. Make it your own. Try to show something ordinary in a unique way. Look for things you normally wouldn’t notice. Look at things from a different angle. Look at things a little closer. Try to capture elements of something instead of the whole thing.
- Have fun with it!