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TRAVEL SMARTS 10 G O I N G P L A C E S | F A L L 2 0 1 4 ISTOCK Picture Perfect Take your best shot, no matter where you are by Marc Saltzman PORTRAIT Move in close. en move in closer. When looking at these pho- tos in years to come, you'll want to see the people, not the objects around them. Unless you want the background to establish con- text, ll the picture with the sub- ject. Getting up close means you can capture beautiful details not seen from two metres away. Take a photo of a subject at its height or else it might come out looking odd. For example, when taking pictures of kids or pets, lower yourself to their level rather than point the camera down at them. ACTION Do you have kids or pets who won't sit still for pictures? Catch those great action shots by taking advantage of your camera's autofocus. Press the shutter button halfway while looking at your subject. is tells your camera to get ready and focus for you. When you see the type of shot you're looking for, press all the way down. If your camera has it, "burst mode" is perfect for action shots because it takes a number of consecutive photos in a short amount of time, so you can pick the best shot out of the bunch and delete the rest. LOW LIGHT SUNNY SKIES When shooting out- doors, try to use the sun to your advan- tage by positioning yourself so the sun is behind you. If it's behind your subject, they'll look like a silhouette (this also hap- pens when shooting someone in front of a window). While it might seem odd to use the ash on a bright day, it can help pre- vent dark shadows being cast on your subjects' faces (especially under the eyes). Plus, using a ash will help darken your background, which makes your subjects pop a little more. GP If using a basic point-and-shoot camera, an easy solu- tion for taking photos in low light is to use a ash. If you have the option, increase your camera's ISO (how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present). e higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor, which increases the quality of low-light photos. Newer cameras tend to be more light sensitive; try taking a test picture rst at 3200 ISO, and back it o to 1600 or 800 if the image is grainy. Another way to get great night shots is to switch to manual mode and use a large aperture, which lets in more light. With summer trailing into fall and and all those back-to-school photo ops coming up, a photography refresher couldn't hurt – especially if it's been awhile since you used your point-and-shoot (talking to all you smartphone shooters out there). To help you capture the best images possible, be sure to pack this snapshot of shutterbug tips in the camera bag. Protect your camera with the slash-proof Carrysafe anti-theft shoulder strap from Pacsafe. At CAA service centres for only $29.99 (non-member price: $33.99).