There are a number of easy-to-avoid mistakes made by newcomers to the unique art of macro photography, so don’t feel too bad if your images fail to meet the grade. The good news is that these simple errors are easy to fix by watching today’s tutorial from the oddly named XxXtrey YouTube channel.

Instructor Trey is a successful shooter specializing in nature, wildlife, and macro photography, and this episode leverages his skill in the latter category to talk you through seven image-killing mistakes. The straightforward solutions he provides will make a huge difference when the name of the game is getting up close and personal with your subjects.

Trey’s first tip has to do with poor composition and choosing the wrong angle from which to shoot, and sometime all it takes is moving a bit closer or taking a lower or higher camera position. In fact, Trey insists that “the most important aspect of macro image is a thoughtful composition.” Therefore, your main priorities should be an interesting vantage point and how the image is framed.

Another key topic of concern is the necessity of avoiding cluttered or distracting backgrounds. You goal is to accentuate a subject by separating it from other areas within the frame, and Trey illustrates how a messy background does the opposite by confusing the viewer and pulling their eyes away from the key element. He provides several simple tricks for doing things right.

Exposure settings also factor into the equation, and Trey explains why shooting with a very narrow aperture will typically spoil a shot. Macro photos inherently have limited depth of  field, which is why many uninformed photographers stop down their lens in an attempt to increase the range of sharp focus. But image quality will suffer if you take things too far due to the likelihood of “diffraction” that leads to a loss of sharpness and detail—regardless of your camera’s resolution.

Trey provides several other important tips for boosting your odds of success. You’ll learn why relying upon autofocus may spoil your results, and how the use of a simple diffuser provides significant benefits.

Your mindset is also important with this particular genre of photography and Trey strongly urges you to be both patient and experimental. Be sure to check out his popular YouTube channel and join his five thousand subscribers.

And don’t miss the tutorial we brought you earlier from a post-processing expert who demonstrates how to harness the power of Lightroom’s Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze tools to create nature and landscape photographs with maximum detail.

Today’s enlightening tutorial is for those of you who’ve captured what you thought would be a killer shot only to discover that something is missing and you’re uncertain why. Upon closer scrutiny, however, you may realize that it’s poor color trying to get your intention.

This video with instructor Rebecca Kowalsky is different than most others we post because it takes you beyond the familiar technicalities of photography and delves into the emotional, storytelling power of color as a tool in composition. In other words, there’s much more to color than just making a photo look “pretty.”

Kowalsky is an experienced shooter and educator who says her passion for photography has been a way of life for the past 20 years. Her overriding point in today’s 11-minute episode is that “Color is one of the strongest ways to guide a viewer’s eye, create a mood, and give your photos more depth and meaning.” Simply put, a single splash of color or a combination of complimentary colors can significantly boost the impact of an unimpressive shot.         

Her examples abound, like a policeman wearing bright yellow vest amidst a sea of gray city tones, or a vivid turquoise helmet hanging from the handlebars of a scooter. Even landscape photos can be vastly improved by making a dominant, colorful element the hero of your image.

As Kowalsky says, “These aren’t happy accidents. They’re meaningful choices we can learn to notice, frame, and explore.” She also insists that a thoughtful approach to color helps you connect with viewers more deeply by conveying different emotions or personality.

Warm hues like red, yellow and orange, for example, can imbue an image with energy, joy and intimacy. Conversely, cool colors like blue, green and purple evoke feelings of calm, sadness and reflection. And when you combine complimentary colors there a myriad of options for creating photos with maximum impact.

Kowalsky provides several practical tips for training your eye so that your images become stories that really connect. Once you’re done watching head over to her unique YouTube channel and learn others methods for improving your work without worrying as much about f/stops and shutter speeds.

We also recommend watching the earlier tutorial we featured with an accomplished pro who provides a complete beginners guide to a few core principle that will enable you to consistently achieve photographs with perfect exposure, whether you’re shooting landscapes, wildlife photos, or environmental portraits.