How to get that perfect shot by Spud Hilton, (Minneapolis) Star Tribune

Vacation photos. Few artistic outlets have more power to stir as broad a swath of emotions, from the elemental joy of reliving a cherished moment to the sheer hopelessness of watching your neighbor’s 13 carousels of slides from his trip to Boca Raton.

Digital camera owners in the United States will shoot 27 billion photos this year, according to the Photo Marketing Association -- roughly 856 pictures every second. Odds are that most of those images will be related to travel in some form.

“Travel and are so intertwined they’re almost inseparable,” says George Schaub, editorial director for Shutterbug magazine and Shutterbug.com. “Most photographers I know, what turned them on to photography is that somebody laid a camera on them before they took a trip. It changed their experiences. You get into it more. You engage somehow more in the place.”

It’s also likely, however, that many of those photos (give or take a billion) will be bad. The upside is that it takes very little effort to improve photo skills; in some cases it might be as simple as turning around to look the other way.

Schaub and freelance photographer Robert Holmes, whose office on any given day could be a slope in Patagonia or a back alley in Vietnam, contributed to the following list of basic, relatively easy tips aimed at beginner and average camera users who just want to get a little better.

(Advanced users -- the ones who buy the latest gear, read all the latest articles and dream of their first spread in National Geographic -- can stop reading now. Consider, however, that there are many more multimillion-dollar lottery winners and lightning strike victims than there are people who have shot for National Geographic. Think about it.)

Shoot steady. A lack of sharpness due to camera shake or blur is a common mistake, says Schaub. “Avoid holding the camera out. It’s probably the least steady posture for taking a picture.”

Learn to look at light. Daylight is best during the first and last hours, says Holmes. “Get up early and stay out late. There’s no secret to great landscapes; you just have to be in the right place at the right time. Make sure you know what time that is.”

Anticipate the shot. With point-and-shoot cameras, it’s easy to miss the picture because of lag, the “delay between when you think you’re taking a picture and when the camera actually takes the picture,” Schaub says. Engage the shutter halfway, let the camera focus, then press the rest of the way slightly early.

Don’t turn the subject into scenery. We’ve all taken the picture of a loved one – from 30 feet away – standing in front of some monument or cathedral. What’s the point if you can’t make out the person’s face? Fill a third of your frame (left side or right) with the person standing 3 to 5 feet away, then fill the remaining two-thirds with your scenery. Shoot from a lower angle if necessary.

Get closer. Most can be improved if the photographer moves closer to the subject. Distill the scene down to the essentials.

Get even closer. Fill the frame with the main subject matter for maximum drama, says Holmes. Don’t worry about getting the entire sculpture or cathedral when part of it is more dramatic.

Outflank your subject. Instead of shooting buildings head-on from the front (yawn), move to one side or the other (depending on the light) and shoot across the front. You get more of the building without a wider lens and the picture shows depth.

It’s the little things. “Don’t forget to shoot details,” Holmes says. “They give visual variety to your coverage.”

Keep it simple. “Don’t get hung up on equipment,” says Holmes. “Learning to see is the important part of photography, not the amount of equipment you have.”

Always be aware of what’s in your frame. You are responsible for everything that appears in the final . Learn to see as the camera does and you won’t get nasty surprises.

Look carefully for gestures. When taking pictures of people, a simple hand gesture can make or break a shot. Be preoccupied with detail.

Explore-the-scene modes. “Introduce yourself to image effects,” says Schaub. “You should understand what those things do so you can translate it when you get a little more savvy.”

Sit a spell. People make better subjects when they’re comfortable, so spend a little time and get the shot when they’re relaxed.

Look to the skies. Stormy weather combined with dawn light is a winning combination for landscape, says Holmes.

Wider doesn’t mean more. Some new point-and-shoots have a wider angle lens (the equivalent of 24 to 28 mm DSLR lenses). The trick is not to fit more into the frame, it’s to show greater depth: Close objects will seem closer and far objects will seem much farther.

Shoot a lot. Memory for digital cameras is cheap, much cheaper than film ever was. Shoot intelligently, but don’t be afraid to keep shooting until you have the shot you feel expresses what you want to say.

About preparation, Holmes is emphatic: Carry spares of everything, including batteries, cables and even a spare camera. “You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on the trip of a lifetime and have your camera fail.” And back up your files as soon as possible.

Probably the most important tip, says Holmes, may be the easiest: Just have fun.