1. Know what's in your frame

You need to consider the edges of the frame to work out what will be in the picture and what won't. You also need to understand the important elements in the photograph. This will affect the way you take the picture and what you focus on.

2. Change your viewpoint

If you only ever take photos at eye level, then you're only capturing what everyone else can see. For a different and more interesting perspective, try crouching down or standing on a chair.

3. Get the right balance

One of the best ways to learn about composition is to look at the work of photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Harry Callahan, who used the classic rules of balance. One such rule is imagining a grid, with two evenly spaced horizontal lines and two evenly spaced vertical lines, over your photo; points of interest should be arranged where the lines intersect. 

4. Perfect the portrait

Make sure your subject's face fits within the frame by holding the camera vertically. When taking a portrait of a subject who's not looking directly at the camera, try leaving extra space between them and the edge of the frame where they're gazing. This is called the "looking room" technique.

5. Reduce red-eye

At night, people's pupils dilate, which allows the sudden light from a flash to illuminate the blood vessels at the back of the eye. Reduce this effect by creating as much light as you can, either by turning on a light or moving to a brighter area to limit the impact of the flash.

6. Embrace cloudy conditions

When you shoot people in harsh sunlight, not only will colours look washed-out, but dark shadows can form around their eyes, neck and nose. On overcast days, however, colours are more intense and shadows are softer.

7. Let there be light

You may think a flash is only good at night, but daytime is one of the best times to use one as it adds light
to shadows. For example, if you're taking a photo of someone under a tree, a flash will add light to the shadows to create a more flattering effect. This is called "fill flash".

8. Soften shadows

To make the light from your flash less harsh, place a ping-pong ball over the flash to help disperse the light. The larger light source will help minimise shadows.

9. What comes naturally

Capturing textural detail is an important element in landscape photography, and the angle of the sun in the morning and afternoon makes this an ideal shooting time. Twilight is perfect for capturing city scapes, as the lights of the
buildings stand out against the sky.

10. Break the rules

British photographer Bill Brandt once said, "Photography is not a sport and therefore there are no rules." Don't be a slave to routine, but remember if you wish to effectively break the rules, make sure you know what they are.