It’s summer time. School is out. Whether you’re planning to travel locally or internationally, or to stay close to home exploring local parks or landmarks, you may feel it’s time to graduate from snapshots to more artistic images. 

Otto Schulze, an award-winning NYC-based fine art documentary photographer, has spent years observing and capturing life’s "decisive moments"—on the street, at weddings, all around us—with compelling artistry. 

Here, Otto offers 5 tips for adding artistry and story-telling power to your photos:

1. “Look behind you.” This advice, from a National Geographic photographer years ago, has stuck with me throughout my career. The basic principle is that you’ll often find extraordinary things in everyday life, all around you. You may be looking at a beautiful sunset when right behind you a simple, beautiful moment is being missed.

"While I was out shooting I saw an amazing light in front of me. When I turned around I found this reflection of the scene I'd been photographing in the mirror right behind me," says Otto. Leica M9, Leica 35mm summicron f/2 lens. Adobe Photoshop CS5, Nik Software Silver Efex.  © Otto Schulze

2. Use available light. You don’t have to learn every lighting trick and own every piece of lighting gear to create beautiful images. There is nothing like natural light. Learn to use it. Experiment. Light is everywhere and it’s free!  

"I shot this image of my daughter taking a bath at f/0.95 with my Leica M9 and Leica Noctilux-M 50mm lens. By using the reflection of light between the white bath tub and the water I was able to capture one of my all-time favorite images," Otto explains. Adobe Photoshop CS5, Nik Software Silver Efex. © Otto Schulze

3. Shoot wide open! The result is a shallow depth of field, where only a small area is in sharp focus. This can turn the simplest subject into a surreal creation. I recommend a good 50mm f/1.4 lens as your first lens. It’s usually very affordable and performs extremely well. A fixed lens like this will make you work for your images, rather than just stand in the same spot and zoom in and out.

"I shot wide open at f/1 on a Leica Noctilux-M 50mm lens, creating a pronounced 3D effect. Shooting straight into sunlight produced a gorgeous lens flair. So a local coffee shop scene that everybody walks by and thinks nothing of is transformed into beauty," says Otto. Adobe Photoshop CS5, Alienskin Exposure 3. © Otto Schulze

4. Think before you shoot. Whether you’re heading to a local park or traveling to famous landmarks, pay attention to the available light, horizon line and composition. Keep the background elements simple. Establishing context is vital to the story-telling power of your images. 

"It all happened in a few seconds as my car stopped at a railway crossing to allow the train to pass. Using my Leica M9 and Leica Noctilux-M 50mm at f/0.95, I saw the light and lines and the background blur of the moving train," says Otto. Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Alienskin Exposure 3. © Otto Schulze

5. Study the greats. Becoming familiar with the work of photographic superstars is invaluable as you start to develop your own style. “Absorbing” the work of the Cartier-Bressons, Avedons, and other photography masters eventually will have a dramatic effect on the images you produce.

Alice B. Miller is the owner of Plum Communications Inc. (www.plumcomm.com), a Long Island, NY-based editorial services and marketing-communications company that supports the photo industry. Previously the editor of Studio Photography magazine, Alice has a growing clientele that includes photographers, manufacturers, publications and associations. She is the director of public relations for the International Photographic Council.