We have 5 tips that will make your photos more interesting. Sounds magical, doesn't it? Far from it. These are tips that everyone can use to plan and create interesting photos.

Make Your Photos More Interesting to Everyone in 5 Easy Steps

In a perfect world, all of our photos would be interesting to everyone. It's not that simple. What's interesting to one person may not be interesting to another.

You have to develop your audience.

One of the best ways to do that is to take photos with a consistent style in a particular genre of photography. When you think of the photographers whose work you admire, aren't they often shooting the same type of photos?

Portraits, sports, travel or something else?

Whatever you shoot, you can use these same 5 tips to make your photos more interesting.

1: Select an Uncommon or Unusual Subject

What is it about our subjects that catch attention? It doesn't matter if you're photographing landscapes, travel or portraits. People want to see something that they don't often see.

Think about food photography as an example.

Would you rather see a common burger sitting on a plastic tray next to fries and a Coke, or an exquisitely prepared meal with careful attention to detail?

It's common to see fast food. Yet most of us don't have perfectly prepared, styled and plated food on a regular basis. We pay more for those experiences at high end restaurants. It's the kind of thing that we save for special occasions.

Your photography subject ought to follow the same idea.

Many people look for beauty, and that's definitely interesting to many people. However, there are plenty of great subjects that aren't necessarily beautiful.

I overheard a comment during a portfolio review that stuck with me. The reviewer looked at the photographer's work and said,

It's obvious you can take great photos of a beautiful person. Can you take a great photo of an interesting person?

Don't get caught up in photographing the same subjects as everyone else. Those photos become common. Look for something that's either uncommon or unusual for your audience.

2: Use Interesting Light and Avoid Flat Light

Joe McNally shares advice with his audience that one of his mentors once shared with him.

If you want to make something look interesting, don't light all of it.

Shadows are your friend. They define and shape your subject. They add mystery to your subject.

Flat light, on the other hand, reveals everything. There's no mystery to your subject when it's all revealed, and therefore it's a less interesting way to photograph a subject.

Check out the work of Tim Wallace at Ambient Life. He's a commercial automotive photographer who is a master of using shadow to define his subjects. His lighting and photography earned him clients like Ferrari, Aston-Martin and more.

3: Your Photos Should Have a Message or Story

Photography is a form of free speech. When you have free speech, it's best to have something to say. If you want other people to pay attention, you better say something interesting.

The good news is that people naturally love stories. We use them for entertainment, education and persuasion.

The stories don't need to be long or complex. Think of the story in your photograph as the first act of a play. It should set a premise or imply something.

That's it.

You could take a photograph of a chalk menu board outside a restaurant you visited. The story entices people who want to imagine having a great meal inside, to have a chance meeting with a stranger, or spend a romantic time with someone they love.

All you have to do is set up the possibility of an interesting story...