How many of you have had photo's taken of yourself where you either have red eyes or trees coming out of the top of your head? Yes, I think that's most of us. So that's why have put together some guidelines to stop the phenomenon that is crap photographs.

1. You always need to be aware of the surrounding's you're in. Difficult, but critical to getting a decent shot. Whilst you're arranging your 'subjects', check where they are being positioned, and what's behind them. Simple changes, such as moving them slightly to the side, or taking a step forward eliminates any unwanted shrubbery/trees/random old people.

2. Try to avoid using you digicam's flash as much as possible when outside. If it's light enough outside to read a book, don't turn it on. The flashes on camera's are particularly harsh, and no one's going to thank you if they end up looking like Marilyn Manson first thing in the morning, when all they wanted was a nice photograph.

3.We all know ambient soft light is best. It soften's features, even Grannies wrinkles, and gives us a lovely glow. Try standing under a tree, or indoors near a drape.

4. Try to aim your camera pointing slighly down the subject's face.This avoids any double chins and bloatedness. Also, aiming your camera slighly to the side of their face has a slimming effect on the subject. Unfortunately, it won't make them look like Giselle, but let's face it, none of us are miracle workers.

5. Take into account your focus. If you want to take a photo of your subject standing in front of a tree, cut out as much of the tree as possible. We don't want to see it. A bit of bark and maybe a few leaves is enough so we know it's a tee. Get as close as you can to the subject when taking your shot.

6. Remember the rule of thirds. Always place your subject either in the first or last third of a shot, never in the centre. Having them in the centre looks uncomfortable and unnatural, but it's something all of us have been guilty of. You dont have to move the subject's a lot, just slightly. You can get away with it if it's a larger group of people, but generally, slapping people in the centre isn't a good idea. Unless it's Paris Hilton.