Scrapbooking Tip - Amateur Photographer's Tip: Avoiding "Head-in-the-Center-Itis"

Have you ever looked at your school or wedding portraits and wonder, why does that look better than pictures I take of people? Find one of your average attempted portraits of one or two people and then find a portrait taken by a professional photographer from a wedding or some other function.

You'll probably notice that the eyes of your subject in your photo is smack-dab in the middle of the frame. Looking at the professionals photo, you'll see that the eyes of the subject are in the top third of the frame. (One word of advise: If this is not the case, don't go back to that photographer!)

You'll see this as well while watching your favorite TV show. The eyes are almost always in the top third of the picture frame.

What about when the person is not the main subject but just one of the elements in your photograph? In this case, a person's head in the center of the frame may be entirely appropriate. Frame your main subject and then put the person somewhere in the frame to complement the main subject.

So, as a general rule, when your main subject is a person, try to get their eyes in the top third of the frame. Your picture will look much more professional!

For portraits, just say no to 'Head-in-the-Center-Itis! Good luck taking your photos and most of all, just have fun.