If I have to share one single most important tip on how to improve photography quickly, this is it.

Less is more.

Here are my 5 examples.

👉Photograph One Subject At A Time - Only One Subject, No More.

This one seems simple, but is the hardest. It is the utmost minimalist style. I photographed the following picture over 15 years ago, and it’s still one of my favorite.

👉Find Wide Open Field As Simple Backdrop

This is particular useful for portrait photography for someone (particularly kids) wearing busy colors or patterns of clothes. The simple backdrop could offset the busy colors and make the whole image cleaner.

👉Frame Simple Repeat Patterns

👉Create Symmetry

This doesn’t simplify your photos per se. Rather, it creates the balance and ease. When viewers are at ease, it gives a similar feeling of seeing something simple.

👉Do Close Up And Use Shallow Depth Of Field To Blur The Background

You can achieve this with any lens. It might be easier to do closeup with a telescope lens, but if you use a wide angle lens, you can still create close-ups simply by holding your camera REALLY close to your subject.

For example, let’s experiment with an inexpensive kit lens (eg. Canon EF 18-55mm). Dial to the smallest f-stop number, photograph your coffee mug at a distance of 0.82 ft (or 0.25m) from your camera, which is the minimum distance requirement. Photograph a second picture by doubling your distance from the mug. And compare the background clarity of two images. Clearly, you’ll see more background blur in the first picture.

If you have the budget, invest in fast lenses by all means (which was discussed in Tip 2 - lens matters), as it typically will result in better background blur and more beautiful bokeh.

As we go through the list, you'll find out that all these approaches do not require any gear or software upgrade.  The only thing to change is you!  Where you stand, how you frame the image.

Now Here Are Your 5 Simple Steps Of Homework To Improve Composition:

1. Find 5 pictures you shot recently that you are most proud of. No matter if it's a flower, a baby, a mountain or an animal, see if you can "trim" the composition by cropping the photo, e.g. trim an extra/unnecessary subject on the edge or in the background. If it's a person/animal, crop it into a close-up only showing the face, or even part of the face.

2. If the subject is easily accessible, photograph it this time with your new cropped composition. See what effort you need to make - walk up closer, or zoom in etc.

3. Pick another LESS IS MORE approach above and reduce the "clutter" even further, for example, if you photographed a coffee mug last time with a computer in the background, remove the computer and keep a clean background. See what effort you need to make this time - e.g. change an angle

4. Pick one more LESS IS MORE approach above by only photographing one subject or simple patterns. See what effort you need to make this time? Does a different camera help or not?

5. Repeat the above again and again in your practice, until you can absolutely reduce no further.

Go back to Composition Tips Chapter

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