Take Better Photographs Today!
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Simon Says
I like American Idol. I hope you don't
think less of me for that. I don't watch a lot of TV; in fact, I
usually prefer that it be turned off. But, I enjoy American Idol and
I know at least some of the reasons why.
Part of it, I think, is
because it is really cool to watch young people pursue their passions.
I think everyone, no matter how old they are, should do that.
Another part of the show I enjoy is the critiques. It can be
interesting to watch experts critique a performance and to compare
their thoughts to mine. (It can be interesting unless, in my humble
opinion, the judge is Paula; when she is speaking what usually goes on in my head is
"blah, blah, blah, yeah, that's what the guy next to you just
said". But, I digress.)
People show me their photographs
sometimes and I have to confess that it is difficult for me to look
at a photograph without being a critic in my head. I don't mean to,
but I've judged a few photography contests and competed in lots of
them. And judging art is a good exercise, actually, if you want to
get better.
Today, I wanted to give you a few
insights into what I think about when I look at a photograph. This
is not a mental checklist, just some things that might cross my mind
when I look at a photograph:
- What is the subject? If that
little bird in the center of your picture that takes up about 1/64
of the image is your subject, then it's likely not a great
photograph. Your subject should be obvious. If you want to
photograph a bird, you might need a longer lens to get closer.
- Is the exposure correct? I
discussed exposure in my November edition, if you'd like to read or
re-read that, here's the link to the November newsletter.
- Is the composition pleasant and/or
interesting? Usually, the subject should not be dead center. (both
vertically and horizontally). I say usually, because rules are made
to be broken. Some very strong compositions have the subject
centered. For close-ups of people, I consider the eyes to be the
subject, so I move them up in the picture so they are not dead
center.
- Are there distracting elements
that take the eye away from the subject?
- How is the lighting? Is it too
harsh, as in a landscape at midday?
- If there are people or animals in
the photograph, are their eyes sharp? Are there catchlights in
the eyes? Catchlights are the little reflections from the light source.
It makes the eyes really come alive. Stay tuned for a future issue
on catchlights.
- Are the colors harmonious?
- If there are straight lines in the
photograph that are supposed to be horizontal or vertical, are the
lines straight across or up and down? Horizons are generally
perfectly level. This is usually easy to fix in your photo editing
software.
- How is the cropping? Is there too
much space around the subject? Are people cropped off at joints
(better to not crop at an elbow, knee, or wrist, for example) or in
a spot that isn't as noticeable? Experiment with your cropping to
make a strong composition.
- Are there leading lines that bring
your eye to the subject? This can be very effective.
- Do I want to keep looking at the
photograph or do I do a quick scan and I'm done?
- Does something about the
composition lead my eye out of the photograph? If the subject is
moving, is there space in the picture for her to go? You don't
usually want a runner looking like she's about to run out of the
picture.
I'm sure there are lots more technical
things my brain considers when looking at a photo. And sometimes all
the rules are broken and I can't take my eyes off it.
That's where
the most important part comes in. Great art stirs emotion. How do
you feel when you look at it? That's what the American Idol judges
talk about a lot when referring to the singing and performance.
Maybe you want to convey anger, maybe sheer joy. After you've
mastered the technical aspects of photography, it will be easier to
convey emotion because you are not using all that brainpower to think
about every little thing. It will come naturally and your emotions
will be your guide. Let them be.
Dawn
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