Shadows and glare

Your shadow

The most common problem, and it happens when the light is behind you. Turn 90 degrees, or step to the side and lean over.

Glare

• Plastic film on packaging. Angle the package slightly, or pull the film taut.
• Glossy cookbook paper. Move so the window is to your side rather than in front.
• A phone or laptop screen. Tilt the screen back a few degrees until the reflection slides off.

Look at your screen before you tap. Is there a white blob over the important bit? Is there a dark shape shaped like you? Move six inches and look again.

Keeping the right things in frame

For food, get the front of each package in frame. For a recipe, the title, the ingredients and the method. If they do not fit in one frame, take two photos rather than one unreadable one. For a receipt, the full width including the store name and the totals.