What to Photograph? And How to Start? What to photograph? For me, the answer is very simple: Shoot anything you find interesting. That can be as simple as a portrait of a friend, or a record of your holiday destination. Or it can be as complex as you making a social comment on the human condition. Often a less experienced photographer can come away with better photos of a subject than I can, if they know the subject well. For example, a mother who knows the basics of lighting and camera operation should be able to take a much better portrait of her son or daughter than I can. All of us have knowledge of at least one subject far greater that our viewers will, so taking advantage of that intimate knowledge is a great place to start. How do I start, and what should I think about while shooting? As a professional photographer, these questions are often answered for me before I start, by my client. I know my subject, what my client wishes the photograph to communicate, and who the audience is for the image. As an amateur photographer, you need to set the goals for the photograph for yourself. But the main criteria are the same. Here are some basic points to ask yourself before you start shooting: Who is the image for? know your audience. having someone in your mind is a great way to help you focus on what you wish to show them about your subject. If you plan on showing it to others, then you will have a good idea about your viewers. And if you are shooting only for yourself, then you still have an audience – your future self. What is it I wish to show my audience? Is this a record of my subject, or am I interpreting my subject? If your goal is a record of the subject or event, then ask yourself, what are the main aspects that you need to show? If your goal is to interpret the subject, then what is the feeling you had at the event that you want to get across in your photo? I have my camera in hand. Now what? Here are some simple questions you can ask yourself before pushing the shutter release button. Look at the edges. Does the edge of the frame intersect with my subject? Am I cutting into the subject in a unpleasant way? Is there to little space around my subject? or too much space? Look at the background relative to the subject and foreground. Will details in the background detract from my subject? Is my subject isolated from the background? i.e. do I have a tree growing out of my subjects head?! Check the lighting. Is it more or less even on my subject? Do I have large areas of dark or light, and how do they affect my subject? Check the camera settings. Do I have a shutter speed that will give me a sharp image? Do I have an f-stop that gives me the depth of field I need? And over all do these setting give me the exposure I need? Asking yourself these simple questions before you start will help greatly in shooting a successful image. The great thing about photography is we can always keep learning and keep chasing that next great photo!
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 23:45:52 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015