Short and Sweet

1. When you are photographing a line of elements, like these drinking elephants, it’s ideal to have complete depth of field. I would recommend a lens aperture of at least f/16. If necessary, raise the ISO to make sure the f/stop is small and the shutter speed is fast enough for a sharp picture. 3. When you photograph symmetrical subjects, stand dead-center because that underscores the symmetry and makes the image look balanced. If you are even a foot or two off-center, horizontal and vertical lines will look skewed in the final image. This is the interior of Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.

2. We photograph small subjects like this northern map turtle so we can see and appreciate the intricate and intriguing detail. Therefore, virtually all of my macro images are taken at f/32. Since such a small aperture lets in very little light, I compensate by using

a flash -- a ring flash in this instance.

4. When photographing gardens, the ideal lighting condition is overcast. Contrast is at a minimum, and you’ll capture wonderful detail in the shadows that otherwise would be very dark or black if you shot with an overhead sun. Use a tripod so you can take advantage of small lens apertures for maximum depth of field. §