Smartphones and social media have shunted out the middle man — a living, breathing middle man, by which, in this case, I mean me ...

They’ll usually say yes out of politeness no matter what, but in general, ask people if they want to change anything or do another take. One day, you might want your picture taken on a hill ...

No one wants to see your messy kitchen table or living room couch. Excise all extraneous items from the background. Do not use props, borders, or text directly on the image.