You do not always need a photographer: for everyday photos, holidays or small family moments, it is entirely possible to get beautiful images yourself. Here are 12 simple tips, valid with a smartphone as well as with a camera.

1. Clean your lens

It is the simplest and most forgotten tip: a greasy finger on the phone lens gives hazy photos. A wipe with a microfibre cloth is enough.

2. Look for the light before the subject

Stand facing a window, in open shade or at golden hour. Avoid direct flash and full midday sun. My article on light in Nouméa explains why.

3. Steady yourself

Elbows against your body, calm breathing, leaning on a wall or low wall: camera shake is enemy number one. A mini smartphone tripod is inexpensive and very useful.

4. Compose before you shoot

Turn on the grid, apply the rule of thirds, look for lines (see 8 composition rules).

5. Focus in the right place

Tap the screen on the subject’s eyes to set focus and exposure. On a smartphone, slide the brightness cursor to avoid an overexposed image.

6. Get closer

Do not use digital zoom, which degrades the image: move instead. For a portrait, prefer portrait mode or a slight optical zoom.

7. Watch out for backlighting

If the sun is behind the subject, their face will be dark. Change position or use HDR mode.

8. Photograph children at their level

Crouch down, let them play, use burst mode to capture the spontaneous expression rather than the forced pose.

9. Take several photos

Digital costs nothing: multiply your attempts, change angle, then keep only the best ones.

10. Edit in moderation

A slight adjustment of light, contrast and cropping is enough. Avoid heavy filters that quickly look dated.

11. Back up regularly

Copy your photos to an external drive and to an online service: a lost or broken phone means years of memories disappearing.

12. Print your best photos

A printed photo does not fade away and can be passed on. Choose your best images of the year and make an album or a print.

And for big occasions?

For a wedding, a birth, a family session or a professional portrait, it is better to entrust the images to a professional: see why hire a photographer.

Read also: photographing at the beach under the tropical sun · professional or amateur photographer.

To organise your session in Nouméa or elsewhere in New Caledonia, contact me: I will reply quickly.