A good photograph is well composed, stimulates the emotions, tells viewers something about life and tells a story. There is also such a thing as being a "natural" at it; however, much of freelance photography can be learned from what others who have written about their experiences and experiments.

While walking through a flower garden take note of individual flowers. If you see a tulip that seems to stand out from the rest move in close to it and capture that special look. If you are trying to capture the happiness of a child's first birthday cake tasting, include a capture of the entire cake, some of the decorations of the party and others who are also enjoying the child's first impressions of the taste of birthday cake. The child is not only reacting to the texture, and the taste of a first birthday cake tasting, but also what others are feeling as well. Share all these experiences with the viewer of your photo.

Shooting landscapes are more special if you frame the subject of most interest. Try to focus in on a special area and allow those things around that area to create the frame. Try to catch the ducks in the water with a few branches of trees that hang over the water on each side. Frame a group of people in a picnic area by using the picnic tables. Usually there will be three or more picnic tables in a specific area, try to find your photograph of happy summertime picnic people somewhere in between the empty tables. See a beautiful stream of water flowing over rocks, look for a spot with surrounding foliage lingering around that area for the shot. There are many creative ways you can frame your photos using what is in the immediate environment.

There is a rule of thirds you can use which involves drawing three imaginary lines horizontally across the photograph and three imaginary lines vertically across the same picture. The most important part or your focus point should be right where those lines intersect. Try to center the subject or focus point of your photo to add a little drama to the finished product.

If you love what you are looking at taking photos are so much easier, and it will show in your photo if you truly loved the experience as you shot the photo. Photos of streams and rivers are especially intriguing to a landscape photographer. Rather than taking one dull photo right slap dab in front of the stream, try to move in different areas to capture the flow and specific curves the water takes. Flower gardens are also interesting subjects to move around and take photos as you enjoy what you are seeing. There are usually several winding paths in a flower garden. Find these winding paths and capture the movement as you move through.

Great photos stimulate the emotions. As you walk through the flower garden if you are feeling how beautiful each view is, your photos will often evoke the same kind of feelings in viewers. The really good photos are often those in which you experienced a particular feeling while taking the shot. The feelings you have as a photographer can often be transferred to viewers.

Good photographs often tell a story. A landscape tells the story about the area. The photo tells viewers whether it is quietly moving into a new season or is bursting with color and activity as in spring and summer. Good photographs tell viewers something about life and more than just a pretty picture to look at. The photograph should express more than the subject you are photographing. It should make the viewer stop and think. One of the best examples of photographs that tell people something about life are cute photos of puppies and kittens playing naturally among themselves or with toys. These are appealing to puppy and kitten lovers and maybe even those not so much in love with animals just because they help viewers to stop and think how life can be full of joy and playfulness. There is fun and innocence told through these photos that often serves as a mood elevator for the viewer.

Using these tips should help you to take your photography skills a step further and on into creating masterpieces to cherish for a lifetime.