Now go do that Voodoo that you do...
I was asked in the comments of a previous post for tips on how to take better photos. I'm willing to share what little I know, as long as you understand that I really don't feel I'm in much of a position to do so. Really. So, as long as you agree that what I am going to say is not gospel, and it's what I do and think about when behind the camera, I'll share.
The number one rule in my book is don't stop at one or two shots. In fact, don't stop at 30 or 40. Change your point of view: get closer, get further back, get lower, get higher, walk around and really work it. With digital cameras there is no reason not to! When you download them on your pc, go though them one at a time, keep the best and delete the rest.
When I woke up and saw the extreme fog outside yesterday, I knew I would be stopping at some point to take advantage of the unusual weather. The picture below of the foggy bridge is one of 75 I took yesterday morning of the exact same bridge from a variety of angles and views from the riverbank. Last night as I was looking through them all, I deleted all but three.
When taking pictures of people, if your photos aren't good enough, you're not close enough. Sure, there's a time and place for including the environment (like Dutch does when taking pictures of Juniper - and I love his pictures!), but just as often you want to get close. Then get closer.
When composing your picture, use the rule of thirds. Most of the time it's more pleasing to the eye to keep the main point of interest of your picture out of and away from the dead center of your shot.
And finally, take the time to learn how your camera works. It doesn't matter if it's a point and shoot, or a digital SLR, you have to know what it's capable of doing. Don't be afraid to change the settings and experiment.
In a nutshell, that's it. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
The number one rule in my book is don't stop at one or two shots. In fact, don't stop at 30 or 40. Change your point of view: get closer, get further back, get lower, get higher, walk around and really work it. With digital cameras there is no reason not to! When you download them on your pc, go though them one at a time, keep the best and delete the rest.
When I woke up and saw the extreme fog outside yesterday, I knew I would be stopping at some point to take advantage of the unusual weather. The picture below of the foggy bridge is one of 75 I took yesterday morning of the exact same bridge from a variety of angles and views from the riverbank. Last night as I was looking through them all, I deleted all but three.
When taking pictures of people, if your photos aren't good enough, you're not close enough. Sure, there's a time and place for including the environment (like Dutch does when taking pictures of Juniper - and I love his pictures!), but just as often you want to get close. Then get closer.
When composing your picture, use the rule of thirds. Most of the time it's more pleasing to the eye to keep the main point of interest of your picture out of and away from the dead center of your shot.
And finally, take the time to learn how your camera works. It doesn't matter if it's a point and shoot, or a digital SLR, you have to know what it's capable of doing. Don't be afraid to change the settings and experiment.
In a nutshell, that's it. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
Labels: photography
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