We all want gorgeous photos. But sometimes we send our efforts in foolish directions. Clichés—endlessly repeated motifs and approaches—trap us in the talons of simple visual ingratiation and leave us creating photos that might look nice at first sight, but are otherwise uninteresting. Which clichés are these, and how do you avoid them?

Many photographers are afraid to shoot facing the sun, for fear of either damaging their camera or producing ugly photos. But if all goes well, you can get remarkable backlit photos.

The phrase “crop factor” (also called “focal length multiplier” or “focal length magnification”) defines a sensor’s size relative to a frame of analog film. But do you know how it influences the way that photos from phones, compacts, and APS-C DSLR cameras look compared to photos from a full-frame camera? There are big differences in the focal length, lens speed, and sharpness.

The dot tune method can help you to adjust focus when your camera has been focusing a little in front of or behind your selected subject. You just need some basic photo equipment and the right distance and angle between the camera and a block of text you’ll focus on.

Quick and precise focusing even in difficult light. That’s one of the main advantages of DSLRs. They also offer photographers several focusing modes that make it easier to photograph every kind of scene, from static to action-packed. But it can be hard at first to understand them all. So join us for a look at which mode means what and when to use them.

With a smart choice of exposure time and camera settings, you can give photos a bit more of yourself, and make your pictures flavorful and exceptional. Gone are the days when photos had to be perfectly sharp.

You’ve just acquired your first DSLR, and you’re ready to head out on your first photo expedition. In order to get the most out of it, you need to learn its controls. Take a look at what you should keep in mind when you’re shooting with a DSLR.

Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority. Take a look at which mode to use when, how to work with them, and when it pays to choose manual mode.

They say that practice is what teaches best. This is also true for photography. And yet you can find people who mainly read about photography—when it’s time to pick up a camera, they hesitate.

Every photographer starting out wants to get the best shots but this does not come without effort to learn the basics that can allow one to perform well as a photographer.