7 Easy Tips for Compelling Photos that Everyone (including you) can use

March 16, 2025

We are all photographers these days, thanks to our smartphones. Photography is no longer just for professional photographers—it's now something we can all enjoy. But do you still think of yourself as “just taking snaps?” Are you curious about how to take better photos but unsure where to start? You don’t need fancy gear or technical skills to go from taking ordinary snapshots to something that takes your breath away.

So, with no further ado, here are my favourite easy photography tips that come from mentoring photographers and from running the weekly Art of Birding photo challenge for over five years. They work for nearly every situation, not just wildlife. More importantly, they work for any and all photographers and cameras.

To start, take your snap as usual, but don’t stop there…

1. Use your feet…

…(or wheels) and take another shot. Move from side to side, use “sneaker zoom” to get closer (but not too close to wild critters), and explore different angles to see your subject with fresh eyes. Speaking of eyes…

2. …get eye-to-eye (mud optional)

For subjects like pets, flowers, or critters, get down to their level and meet them face-on. We want to see the world from their perspective, not with a “road kill” perspective (thanks to Tui de Roy, wildlife photographer, for that apt description!).

My first photo of a takahē - I must have been so excited that I forgot any sense. Yes, that's my knee in the foreground! What was I thinking? Compare that to the photo at the top, taken more recently, where I've gone down a slope a wee bit to look directly at the takahē.

Yep – I’ve got arthritis and a few other ‘itisis’ for good measure. A soft garden kneeler can help your knees, as can a stick or hiking pole to help get back up. And waterproof pants are a total game changer, letting you kneel or sit down with abandon, even on wet grass or mud, without worrying about getting cold and damp (not to mention the laundry).

Photographer with a big lens taking a photo of a kiwi

Getting down with a kiwi pukupuku who is foraging, unusually, in the daytime.

Bonus tip: We are blessed with flip-screens on the back of most cameras now, so you don’t have to use a viewfinder held up to your eyes. If your knees are dodgy and don’t bend anymore, or you use a wheelchair, you can still hold the phone or camera lower down for a better angle or to stretch overhead.

3. Off-centre magic

Placing your subject off-centre can make for an instantly more engaging photo. On your phone, adjust what you see on the screen to put the subject to the side and tap on the subject to move your focus point to the new position before then taking the photo.

Putting the tūī in the right of the frame gives room for the flowers and room for the tūī's gaze. Ideally, I'd also not chop his foot off, but there's always room for improvement!

4. Look around the scene before clicking

Rather than just looking at your subject when you take the photo, spend nearly as much time noticing what's around it as you do on the subject itself. Carefully consider both the foreground and background, then use your feet (or wheels) to get a new angle with less clutter, unintended bright highlights, and other distractions. Keeping the surroundings simple lets your subject shine. This one can be trickier than you think, as our eyes are pulled towards the main subject—give it a go and see what I mean!

5. Snap freely

Unlike film cameras, digital photos cost nothing extra—so explore and experiment freely. Keep curious and photograph with intention, asking yourself, "What happens if I do this or I do that?" Afterwards, look at what did and didn’t work so you can learn from your experiments, then delete the duds.

6. Chase the beautiful light

Photography is all about capturing light. The same scene photographed at sunrise or sunset (with golden, warm tones) differs dramatically at midday. Overcast skies suit nature and portraits, while sunlight makes landscapes pop. It may mean getting out of bed early or taking on a drizzly day, but the results will be worth it.

Bonus tips: When photographing critters on a sunny day, try putting the sun behind your shoulder. Dappled light can drive photographers nuts—I've got a whole blog post about conquering it here.

Photographer taking a photo of a sea lion on a beach

I learned so much from Tui de Roy on our trip to the Galapagos Islands. See here how she’s gotten down to the same level as the sea lion and has the early "golden-hour" sun behind her shoulder.

You don’t need Tui’s fancy gear – I always admire Jill McFarlane’s (@jinipapi) photos on Instagram, especially those of her dog on Papamoa Beach. All were taken with her iPhone. Inspirational and creative, and I highly recommend checking them out!

7. Give yourself a fun, achievable mini-project

Judi heading off for an adventure (photo by Linton Miller).

Taking photos intentionally rapidly boosts your skills and confidence. Ideas include:

Go on a scavenger hunt (this is fun to do with the little ones). Ask them to help decide what you will search for, e.g., 5 blue things, 3 bugs, 4 dogs, 3 interesting reflections...
Follow Monarchs from eggs to caterpillars to chrysalis through to butterflies.
Challenge yourself to take a photo-a-day for a month. Hayley May (@hmbyhm on Instagram) does this every May with her fungi-a-day-in-May challenge #fungiadayinmay

I'd love to hear your mini-project suggestions in the comments—what’s inspired you lately? If you want to share your photos, join our friendly "Art of Birding" Facebook group. It's been quieter since the weekly challenges stopped, but it's still a supportive place to share your creations.

And if you're an experienced photographer, I'd love to hear your favourite no-cost suggestions for taking better photos. I know I've just scratched the surface here.

Back to blog

Item added to your cart