Photography is more difficult for most people than it seems. Although it may sound like just simply taking a photo with your phone or camera, there are rules with lighting, background objects, background people, your subject, and more. So how can you better your photo taking skills?

To start, make sure you have good lighting. Photos that are too dark might be hard to see, as well as photos that are too light. Depending on what your subject (what you are taking a photo of) is, the overall best position of your light would be to the side of your photo, with the light shining directly on the subject. If your subject is a person, the light should be in front of them, rather than behind, to allow their face to be seen.

Next, be mindful of background objects. The objects in the background of your photograph play a much bigger role in making your photo look professional than you might think. They help tell the story of your image, set the scene, time, and location of your photo. If you’re trying to make it seem as though your subject is at the beach, it would make more sense to have shells and sand in the background than hay bales and grass.

All of this may sound difficult to keep up with, but it will truly help you take better photos.