I’ve come to find that my friends on Facebook can be broken into two categories: those who take good pictures, and those who don’t. Every Sunday afternoon, about fifteen new albums are posted on Facebook, and I have learned by now, that some are worth looking at and some will be random body parts, cut-off faces, and various containers of alcohol.

Pictures are really important. They take a moment in time and capture it forever. When you look back on your college years, you don’t want to see random arms flailing and half of a strangers face. No, you want to see pictures of you and your friends having fun and living the college dream, give or take the various containers of alcohol in the background.

How does one take a good picture? Here are a few tips to help guide you on your next photo-op:

Watch the lighting. Make sure that the lighting in your picture will not cause a glare. If there isn’t enough light, use your flash or rethink the location of the picture.

Look for frames. Framing your pictures adds visual interest. Take a look at your surroundings and see if there isn’t a great way to set up your picture so that the setting give it an extra touch.

Use the rule of thirds. I took a class on visual media last semester and this was one of the most important things I learned. Imagine that your photo is broken up into three even parts. Now, pick one of those parts to focus your picture on. It really makes all the difference! Remember that your focus doesn’t always have to be in the center either.

Be a good photo director. Make sure everyone is looking at the camera before you take the picture. Actually think about how the picture will turn out before you take it and don’t be afraid to delete the bad ones and try again! Just because you took it, doesn’t mean it needs to be posted.

Be creative! Experiment with different poses and different settings on your camera. It’s fun to come up with new ideas and you’ll appreciate it when you look at your pictures years from now.

These are the best years of your life, so get to documenting!