So, you want better photos…. 6 Things not to do !

 

 

This photo is an improvement over the last photo of the blog.

Above, is a visual example of what not to do;
-ut people off at the knees…
-Don’t cut people off in the middle of the head

Below are a few lessons that I have learned, either from personal experience, or from observation.

1. When taking photos of people, don’t spend more time with the camera & lights, than the people.   Nothing turns people off faster than feeling unappreciated and taken for granted.  Engage with them with eye contact  and voice.  When you are engaged with the person(s) they will know it, and conversely if the camera and lights  are more important then the people will be gone.  A corollary of this, is that you practice with the camera & lights so that when the real thing is here, you are not still learning the mechanics.   This is true in others areas of photography as well.
2. Don’t be trying to figure out how to do something (like use a flash, or a long lens), when you have a time critical shot such as the sunrise line approaching.   The solution to this, is the same as number one, practice with flashes and the lights before the real thing.  I have lost track of the number of bird photos I haven’t gotten because I was not quick and smooth.
3. Don’t try and take before dawn or after sunset  photos with out a tripod, or some other form of stabilization device.  (Camera on a rock with a timer).   It doesn’t work !  At workshops I see this problem over and over again.  And the folks wonder why their photos are blurry?  A tripod, is probably the number one piece of equipment after the camera  (for landscape photographers) that contributes to a good photo.   A corollary to this is have a flash light, or better yet a headlamp.
4. Go ooh & Aaah at a scene, take the picture and think that it will match your memories.  It ain’t going to happen !   Photos that look great are not the result of an ooh and aaah, but rather taking the time to make sure that the mechanics of the photo (focus, exposure) are correct, and  that the composition is compelling.  Even after all of that time on getting the right photo, it may not be the great photo.
5. Don’t Blame !  There is nothing that pushes people away, from you, and has them discount you, that listening to someone blame a person, place or thing.   If something is not to your liking, OK, it is not to your liking; but what whatever you do don’t Blame.  If anything taking responsibility tends to bring people closer.  ‘oh this fog kind of prevents getting that great sunrise pic we thought we could get’ Let’s see what we can do with the fog…’   This brings people closer.
6. Don’t keep doing the same thing…. you will keep getting the same results.  Take the time to evaluate your photos and find something and worked, and something that could be improved for each of  photos.  This takes time and intention, which is why we don’t have instant photographers.

Hopefully, some of the ideas here will rub off.

Geese looking away; too many other distracting things

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[latestbyauthor author=”Patrick” show=”3″]