Ice Surfer, Lake Michigan

Photograph by Mike Killion , My Shot

I love the serenity of this shot. In photography, we re always after capturing the moment. But sometimes it s powerful not to seize the moment, but to show utter stillness instead. The fact that there is no moment and no gesture, that in fact nothing is happening at all, emphasizes the surfer's serenity. And because he s standing still, we notice the graceful, curved shape of his wetsuit, which contrasts with the sharpness of the surfboard and icicles. Finally, the stillness of the subject allows the viewer to also be still while looking at the image and to perhaps feel as the surfer does.

Photo Tip: Capturing the moment is not always necessary in photography. Sometimes having no moment is more effective.

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Machu Picchu, Peru

Photograph by Claire Wroe , My Shot

The tilt shift lens, often used in architectural photography, is fun to use for rendering actual settings into scale-model worlds in which people look like toy figures. Because you re altering the planes of focus and drawing the eye to a narrow area of the photograph, a specific point of interest must be included. In this image, the two small figures walking through the "maze" are essential elements. I love that one of the people is wearing something red, providing the only bright color in the entire image.

Photo Tip: When using the tilt shift lens to show a scene as a world in miniature, be sure to have a clear point of focus, such as a person or people within the scene.

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Wild Horse, Mongolia

Photograph by Chris Neale , My Shot

I love the simplicity of this image, which draws you in and keeps you there. There is absolutely nothing fancy about the shot, achieved with a basic 70mm lens. It s the subject matter that makes it compelling, but in a subtle way. What especially makes the shot for me is the beautiful wave in the horse s mane and forelock. I also love that the photographer included the open sky and mountain, but without unnecessary drama, showing just that gentle peak and the simple elements of the tree and log.

Photo Tip: Sometimes it s the simple shots that are the most effective. You don t always need long and wide lenses and dramatic subject matter to make beautiful images.

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Hot Air Balloons, Cappadocia

Photograph by Kani Polat , My Shot

The success of a photograph almost always comes from planning, and luck definitely favors the prepared. In this shot of hot air balloons over ancient rock formations in Turkey, the photographer no doubt planned ahead to make sure he was in the right place at the right time. First, the cone-shaped rock formations complement the similarly shaped balloons. I especially love that one larger formation is included on the left. Not only is it a bold shape to have close to the camera, but it also has a curious, cave-like element and speaks to the geological history of the setting, giving the image that all-important sense of place. Second, the early-morning light raking in from the right is perfectly lovely, as are the soft clouds, which were a lucky element. Finally, the balloons are beautifully placed across the sky, but the red balloon in the upper left of the frame is the final, key element to the success of the image.

Photo Tip: Planning ahead is essential to getting successful photographs: Be in the right place at the right time, and be ready for a lucky moment.

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Rhine Falls, Switzerland

Photograph by Garret Suhrie , My Shot

The mysterious, moody quality of this image is achieved with a slow shutter speed, which gives both the water and the mist a wonderful, swirling movement. The slow shutter also makes the supporting elements work: the blue in the dusk sky, the lights on the opposite shore.

Photo Tip: Try slowing down the shutter when you shoot water this always adds an interesting effect.

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White Lions, South Africa

Photograph by Dave Elliott , My Shot

Wildlife photography is often about capturing animals in action or in their natural habitat. But shooting portraits of animals capturing them in much the same way as you would people can also be an interesting approach. This portrait of the two lions has an almost artificial quality, emphasized by the somewhat shallow depth of field, short focal lens, and fairly flat lighting, as well as by the immediacy of the gaze. Both lions are looking directly into the camera, but it s the sharp focus of the lion on the right that arrests the viewer. Clearly, the photographer has commanded its attention.

Photo Tip: Think about approaching wildlife photography as portraiture: Use shallow depth of field, a medium focal length lens, and available portrait lighting and command the direct gaze of the subject.

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Boy With Balloons, India

Photograph by Kamala Kannan , My Shot

By photographing the shadow of the child running with balloons rather than the actual child, the photographer captured an image that immediately stops us in our tracks. Though the shadow is flat, it has so much movement and life. What is most surprising is how vibrant the colors are, and this is because the background is white/off-white.

Photo Tip: Keep your eyes open and notice what s all around you the primary subject may not actually make the most interesting photo.

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Nove Mlyny, Czech Republic

Photograph by Petr Cunderlik , My Shot

When shooting landscapes, good light is absolutely essential, which is why photographers often rise before dawn. This photograph is all about the exquisite first light of day, which gives it a magical quality. Also, the still water serves as a mirror for the tree, and its reflection is what makes the photograph sing. Light changes very fast you may only have ten minutes before this would be a very different shot.

Photo Tip: For landscape shots, it s essential to be on location for the first light of the day.

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Nové Mlýny, Czech Republic

Photograph by Petr Cunderlik , My Shot

When shooting landscapes, good light is absolutely essential, which is why photographers often rise before dawn. This photograph is all about the exquisite first light of day, which gives it a magical quality. Also, the still water serves as a mirror for the tree, and its reflection is what makes the photograph sing. Light changes very fast you may only have ten minutes before this would be a very different shot.

Photo Tip: For landscape shots, it s essential to be on location for the first light of the day.

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Pub, Uganda

Photograph by Leslie Alsheimer , My Shot

A successful image is often one that makes viewers think. The mystery of why these six children are peering into the cracks of this "pub" in Uganda is what makes this photo amusing, delightful, and curious. The use of the wide-angle lens indicates that the photographer is physically close, but the children are so absorbed that they don t notice. The wide angle is particularly appropriate for this shot it adds quirkiness to the quality of the image.

Photo Tip: An image that leaves viewers questioning what s happening can be intriguing, but choose your lens carefully. In this case, the wide angle emphasizes the sense of mystery.

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Grasshopper, Honduras

Photograph by Lisa Armstrong , My Shot

Photo Tip: When shooting in macro, choose carefully which elements to have sharp. For example, in a photograph of an insect choose the most beautiful elements, and always keep the eyes sharp.

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Winter Carnival, Saranac Lake, New York

Photograph by Mark Kurtz, Your Shot

This image of fireworks at a winter carnival has both a sense of serenity and an explosive energy. The inclusion of people gazing at the fireworks as they explode emphasizes the dynamism of the display, and the luminous ice sculptures contrast with the appearance of fire shooting into the sky. Rather than shooting the fireworks at a fast shutter speed to achieve the classic starburst effect, the photographer slowed down the shutter for a three-second exposure. The slow shutter exaggerates the explosive look of the fireworks.

Photo Tip: Contrasting elements make photographs more dynamic. Try adjusting the shutter speed to bring out the essence of an element.

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Sharks, Bahamas

Photograph by Wilfried Niedermayr , My Shot

Shooting over/under photos is a fun alternative to just shooting underwater. The use of the over/under water camera for this shot is perfect it highlights the tension inherent in any shot of a shark in the water. Seeing this view of both the water s placid surface and the creatures lurking below makes me feel like a swimmer at the surface with my legs dangling below. The closeness of one of the sharks, and its size, adds to the drama. The contrast is also emphasized by the beautiful turquoise sea and puffy white clouds. It s not easy to get these over/under shots, and one needs to shoot many frames and be well positioned close to the fish.

Photo Tip: Consider over/under photos as alternatives to underwater shots. The key is to have strong subject matter in the water.

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Street Scene, Rio de Janeiro

Photograph by Rasko Ristic , My Shot

The choice to make an image in black and white should be based on subject matter. This Old World scene, with its stone walls, brick street, and classic Volkswagen, is a perfect choice for a shot in black and white because we can enjoy all the textures and shapes without being distracted by color. That the photographer chose to fill more than half the frame with the street's wonderful patterns underlines that the image is about the textural delight of this timeless place.

Photo Tip: Black and white photography is a perfect choice when you want to bring out textures, especially when there s a sense of nostalgia or timelessness about the subject.

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Desert Crossing, Rajasthan, India

Photograph by Shivji Joshi , My Shot

This simple image is all about symmetry and, I would bet, persistence. I doubt the photographer just happened to be standing in the desert when these five women walked by. To get this kind of photograph, you need to spend time with people and follow along with them. In this shot, each woman is stepping forward, and this creates a lovely harmony of movement. Also, each sari is billowing out in the same direction, and the women are evenly separated, which adds to the sense of harmony. To achieve this kind of symmetry, you may have to walk or run alongside the women for as long as it takes to get this shot.

Photo Tip: You may have to spend quite a while with your subjects, following alongside them, to get that perfect shot.

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Cenotes, Chich n-Itz , Mexico

Photograph by Jack Paulus , My Shot

Caves can be very hard to shoot. Challenges include locating the spot with the most interesting elements and the need to return to a certain place over and over.

In this shot, the combination of the warmly lit stalagtites and stalagmites, the intense turquoise of the water, and the curious stone "jetty" create a dynamic and intriguing setting. (You don t always have to bring along flashes, as caves open to the public are often lit to highlight the most dramatic rock formations.)

As with most successful photographs, there s a single element that makes this one captivating: the shaft of light coming down from the roof of the cave. Sometimes you have to go back again and again to capture that remarkable detail that makes the shot sing. It s the light beam and the circle of light on the water that gives this image an almost religious quality.

Photo Tip: You may have to return repeatedly to a spot to capture the special quality of light that transforms a photograph from ordinary to enchanting.

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Ballerina, Kazakhstan

Photograph by Carl Whetham , My Shot

Photographers are always trying to get backstage during a performance because this is where the real gems are, those moments in between. This is a perfect example. This image has all the grace and beauty that the ballerina might express onstage, yet she is in her own world backstage.

In this captured moment, out of the limelight, the ballerina is awash in shades of blue. She becomes a semi-silhouette, and this shows her form so beautifully. The slight movement in both her arms emphasizes the perfect shape of her hourglass figure. The slight profile of her face adds the final grace note.

Finally, I love the small, out-of-focus figures at the end of the stage, perfectly placed between the tall curtains and just above the ballerina's arm. The space between her arm and the figures is essential.

Photo Tip: Get out of the audience and away from the actual performance. Magic moments can be found backstage or in the curtains, at the edges.

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Climbing Wall, Singapore

Photograph by Poh Siang Seah , My Shot

There are many different ways to shoot sports. This image is so boldly graphic that if we didn t know they were climbers, we might think we were looking down on them as "crawlers." That the photographer chose to shoot it absolutely straight on, keeping the lines perfectly straight and parallel, only emphasizes the quirky shapes of the climbers themselves. I love that he places the three climbers to the far right, which also adds to the sense of humor of the image.

Photo Tip: Sports photography doesn t always have to be wildly dramatic; try using bold graphic elements where possible.

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Alpine Climbers, Midi-Plan Traverse, France

Photograph by Tommy Harris , My Shot

When I was a novice photographer, I learned from my mentor that a successful composition should lead your eye around the frame in a graceful curve. So it is with this remarkable landscape of swirling clouds, sun, and mountains. The contrast between the soft, gentle, snowy slopes and the sharp, jagged black peaks makes me feel both seduced and afraid, which is surely how a mountain climber must feel.

We first notice the three climbers. Tiny, they show us just how towering these peaks are. They are like the all-important first notes to a grand and bold symphony. We then follow the climbers' tracks, which trace the same elegant shape of the snowy ridge. The eye then climbs up toward the middle peak at dead center top, then finally to the upper left of the frame. That movement is key to the success of the composition.

Photo Tip: Compose so that your eye moves gracefully around the frame, taking in all the elements in a harmonious way.

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Girl on Swing, Bangladesh

Photograph by Maruf Hossain , My Shot

This wonderful technique of panning lets us experience the heady rush the little girl feels on the ride. By slowing down the shutter and moving the camera at exactly the same speed as the girl's face, she stays sharp, while everything else is a blur. It s a great way to show both motion and the feel of being in that motion. It s essential in panning to keep one element sharp, and I think that element should be a face so the viewer can identify with the person having the experience.

Photo Tip: Try panning to show the experience of being in motion.

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Sunset, Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Photograph by Guido Mandozzi , My Shot

The key with sunsets is that you have to have subject matter, such as this boardwalk and people. You can t just shoot the sun. Although the orb is lovely, it is the people and their shapes that make this an interesting picture. Including subject matter also gives you a sense of place. A sun setting over a body of water could be anywhere. And sunsets are a perfect excuse for shooting silhouettes.

In this image, I want to keep looking at the silhouettes; the variety of body language is intriguing. With silhouettes, each shape must be carefully defined, with no two shapes overlapping. In this photo, we keep seeing more as we keep looking. I love the two figures, third from the left, placed right between the diagonal lines of the pier, as well as the woman placed dead center in between the next pair of diagonal lines.

Photo Tip: Always include subject matter, such as silhouettes, in your sunset photos, and watch that the shapes have separation between them.

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Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Photograph by Vlad Min , My Shot

The inclusion of the motorcycle in this image is essential to understanding the scale of the setting, and that detail is what makes this shot work. Also, a person riding a motorcycle is a far more effective detail than a passing car would have been; we feel the emptiness of the long, winding road even more acutely.

Although the image has great light and the curves make for a graceful composition, it s not complete without the motorcycle. Getting a shot like this may require a long wait, but a key detail, however small, may make the shot.

Photo Tip: Even if you have to wait a long time for the right kind of detail, it s worth it if it means capturing the element that makes the shot.

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BASE Jumper, Spain

Photograph by Xavier Coll Sola , My Shot

This picture captures a BASE jumper s brief moment of freefall, and the expansive view the ocean, the city far below, the beaches and shoreline, the mountains behind puts the viewer into the jumper's experience. The key to this photograph is the tilted horizon, which exaggerates the feeling of vertigo and adds to the sense of disorientation and suspension that the photo creates. A tilted horizon line may break a "rule" of photography, but subject matter not rules should determine composition.

There s another detail I love in this shot the cropped foot. It s as if the jumper is safely held in place by the top of the frame. But we know that this is false, that he s in fact held by nothing.

Photo Tip: Break rules of composition, and don t be afraid to tilt the horizon when the subject matter calls for it.

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Holi Celebration, India

Photograph by Anurag Kumar , My Shot

What makes this shot work is the dramatic burst of blue spurting into the crowd. No matter how frenetic and energy-filled the scene is, there still needs to be a moment among the frenzy. The blue hand also gives us one sharp point of focus in a sea of turbaned heads. Importantly, the vibrant blue contrasts so well with the yellows and the reds, making the whole scene alive with vitality.

Photo Tip: When shooting a bustling crowd scene, it s especially important that you capture a moment, a specific something happening amid the chaos.

Take a photographic tour of India » See more pictures of international festivals » Get more photo tips »

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Swimmers, Lake Superior, Minnesota

Photograph by Nick Otto , My Shot

I love all the empty space around the swimming platform. It shows how the lake is both huge and peaceful. The figures of the people become very small, and what makes the shot is the person jumping from the platform and appearing especially tiny surrounded by all that water.

Photo Tip: Don t be afraid to have a lot of open space in your photos. Wide open space is as much an element as the objects and subjects in your photos.

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Angel Wings, Istanbul, Turkey

Photograph by Boryana Katsarova , My Shot

This photograph takes my breath away with its simple contrast of elements. The angel wings made up of white handprints is exquisitely beautiful in itself. But the additional elements the phone lines, rough stone wall, dirty satellite dish, and person make the art even more lovely. These contrasts give the photograph a sense of poignancy. Most people would want to crop out the unsightly electrical wires and satellite dish. But it is precisely these "dirty" elements that bring out the ethereal beauty of the white handprints.

Photo Tip: When shooting murals, or wall art, bring in elements other than the art itself.

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African Spurred Tortoise

Photograph by Glenn Nagel , My Shot

I have heard that there is a rule in photography never to place your main subject dead center. But in my opinion there are no rules of composition in photography; composition should fit the subject matter. The impact of this photograph is the tortoise's remarkable face. Also, by putting him right in the middle, we can admire both his symmetry, and his asymmetry: The crooked line of his mouth is what gives him character.

The giant size of the creature is implied by filling fully half of the top half of the frame with the shell. Because the focus is sharp on the face and slightly out of focus on the shell, the eye is drawn right to the middle, to the sharpness of the eyes and the texture of the face.

Photo Tip: Let the subject matter dictate the composition; sometimes dead center is the right choice.

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Dog Tag Chandelier, Fayetteville Veterans Park

Photograph by John Creech Jr. , My Shot

Sometimes there s a beauty in a purely abstract image. Shooting in black and white and playing around with depth of field are ways to create images that mesmerize us with their shapes and forms. The success of this shot, for me, is the shallow depth of field. A sharp depth of field would have been very confusing, as all the elements would have been in focus. The interplay between the sharp tags and the soft ones, as well as the light and dark, make for an image that has staying power: You want to keep looking at it endlessly.

Photo Tip: Use shallow depth of field when shooting busy abstract images.

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Reclining Buddha, Thailand

Photograph by Rick Wianecki , My Shot

I know that this reclining Buddha has been photographed over and over, and most photographs show the whole face or the whole face and body. But this new angle, capturing the statue between two walls, makes for a more unique picture. The inherent mystery of the Buddha is enhanced by only showing a glimpse of the face. Also, these two walls are such beautiful elements in themselves that they enhance the image overall.

Photo Tip: Be creative when shooting iconic subjects, and try different compositions. Remember that you don t always have to show the whole statue or object.

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Easter Procession, Spain

Photograph by Carolina Sanchez Monge , My Shot

When it comes to group photos, the best moments are the ones before and after the actual posed shot. These altar boys reveal themselves when they stop posing, and instead of looking uniformly into the camera, each carries a unique expression and posture. I love the spontaneous element of the boy drinking from his plastic water bottle. It s especially nice to have a light-hearted moment in the more serious setting of the graveyard. After all, these are just regular boys I love seeing their jeans and sneakers underneath their robes.

Photo Tip: You ll no doubt get your most natural moments in a group shot after people stop posing.

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Lightning, Utah-Arizona Border

Photograph by David Rankin , My Shot

It s a challenge to shoot lightning, and the key, as this photograph demonstrates, is to leave the shutter open for as long as possible and shoot repeatedly. This way, you can be sure to capture more than one lightning bolt. By leaving the shutter open, your exposure can be bright enough to light up the sky, the clouds, the terrain, and the buildings, such as the factory in this image. All are elements that add interest to the shot.

Photo Tip: When shooting lightning, use long shutter speeds, like 15 seconds or more, and just keep shooting.

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