Shoot Close to Your Subject

The best way to take great pictures is to get close to whoever or whatever you are shooting. When you shoot closer, you capture more details and get a better image.  Another benefit is that you won’t have to crop and enlarge the image you want, which means your final product will have a higher resolution. And a higher resolution means a cleaner and sharper picture for your print calendar.

Change Your Position Several Times

When you are taking a picture, shoot from several different angles. Changing direction changes the part of the subject that you can see as well as the background. When you try lots of different angles, you are more likely to find a really good picture that you can use in your print calendar.

Pay Attention to the Background

If you take a shot with a good background, you’ll have to mess with it less later in Photoshop. The background should complement your subject because the background is an important part of pictures for print calendars. If you are taking a picture of people, make sure things from the background aren’t growing out of their heads. 

Watch the Amount of Light

Light is key in photography. Without light, you have no picture. If you have a camera that allows you to attach a better flash, get the attachment and have it available for times when the surrounding light is low. Also, when you take pictures of people outside, make sure the sun is shining on them. You don’t want the sun to be behind them unless you just want their silhouettes. To get a picture with everyone’s eyes open, have your subjects close their eyes, and then tell them to open their eyes right when you count to three. At that moment snap the picture and you’ll get great results each time.

Have the Right Equipment

You need a camera with a good flash or the ability to attach a good flash. And you also need at least 6 megapixels for your digital camera. Before taking photos, make sure that your camera’s resolution is set to the highest quality. Some cameras have the option for lower resolutions and are automatically set to the lowest resolution when you purchase them. Last of all, make sure that you have the right cables to attach your camera to your PC if your computer doesn’t have a slot for your camera’s memory card.