Photo secrets from the pros

Professional photographers are never stingy with their film. They shoot, shoot and shoot some more. And they're seldom stingy with their advice. One bit of advice is for amateurs to stop counting the frames and start having fun with their cameras. It literally will help change their focus.

Before you start clicking, here's some advice from the pros:

Use a flash outdoors in daylight. This helps to lighten faces in backlit situations and when a person is wearing a hat. A flash also helps to bring out vivid colors on overcast days.

Wait for the right light. No matter how good your exposure technique and how sophisticated the equipment, nothing can match the beautiful quality of light in a scene. This usually requires patience. Usually, early in the morning or late afternoon light is best. But so are stormy days, when the mood of the sky and light is ever-changing.

Get closer. Most people tend to stand away from their subject but it is always best to get as close as possible, then get closer. Look carefully through the viewfinder, and then back up as necessary. Usually it's not necessary. You can't see the truth of nature, people, or anything unless you're close. In other words, the name of the game is to fill the frame.

Whether you're photographing an adult, child or pet, the most successful portraits are usually shot at the subject's eye level. Unpleasant optical distortions can occur when you start to look up or down at your subject, even by a few inches. For a toddler or cat, this may mean lying on your belly to get the shot.

Don't carry your equipment in anything that looks like a camera case or camera bag. Particularly, don't use bags or cases with camera logos proudly emblazoned on them. That camera logo says 'steal me' to any potential thief.