“Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.”
~ Yousuf Karsh ~
Motion can enhance an image - Paris, France
More than 1 billion images are captured around the globe on a daily basis. A truly extraordinary volume of imagery. You would think the quality of photography continues to improve in tandem as well. After all, you can argue the digital (and now mirrorless) age of photography offers economies of scale as there are no film and/or printing expenses involved. You can effectively shoot until your heart's content… or your memory card is full (whichever comes first). The more you shoot, the better you get? Let’s step back for a moment.
Since the iPhones arrival 16 years ago, the vast majority of today’s images are taken on a smartphone (iPhone, Droid or Pixel). As such, the more passive approach to photography comes into play. Snapping a few frames is convenient & easy and captures the moment. However, the active approach to creating or making a photo renders more compelling images. When you look at a magazine and find yourself captivated by a photo, it’s hard to look away or turn the page. This is done intentionally as the photographer used various composition and graphical elements to enhance the viewing experience.
1 + 1 = 3 Two separate images (plane & sunset) combined in Snapseed (Double Exposure Feature) - Tampa, FL
The age-old adage of taking a photo vs making a photo is more relevant today than ever. As a colleague once told me, “More isn’t better, better is better.” Take a few minutes before you snap your next photo to think about what you're trying to capture or convey in your picture.
Here are 7 simple tips to improve your photography…
New Equipment - Forget it. Okay, if you must, buy one new item for retail therapy. It may inspire you to take more pictures. New equipment itself doesn’t make you a better photographer though. I recently bought 4 new tires on my car and it didn’t make me a better driver (insert smile). Spend your money on Joe McNally workshops, LL Bean winter clothing or buy a few books on photographic technique at your local mom & pop bookstore. Note: I’m not affiliated with any of the above. They offer great products and/or services. The end.
One Lens - Next time you venture outdoors to snap a few photos, take only one lens with you. If you only have zoom lenses, set the lens barrel to one distance… let’s say 35mm. If you have fixed focal length lenses, select one you do not use on a regular basis. The purpose of this exercise is to force you to see differently and move your feet to get the best image. In the famous words of Robert Capa, “If your photographs aren’t good enough, get closer.” Zooming with your feet is a good exercise in filling the frame with your subject… this technique also increases your daily step count and improves your health (you’re welcome!).
Post Process Your Images - Every photographer does some level of editing before they print and/or post to social media on their iPhone or in Lightroom, Photoshop, Aperture, Corel or Capture One. If I had to guess, 99% of professional images are edited before public viewing takes place… cropping, contrast, highlights, shadows & sharpness. The human eye and your camera will never see exactly the same thing. Technology is truly remarkable, it’s just never going to be perfect.
Perspective - Change how your viewers see a subject. Shoot high or low and show your subject from a different angle. How many pictures of children have we seen from the parents perspective? Standing up and looking down at them reflects your world… not theirs. Kneel or lie on the ground and capture the image from the child’s perspective. It may totally change the feel of the image as subtle changes can make a big difference.
Rule of Thirds - This old standard still has merit. Turn on the grid in your camera and/or smartphone if it helps. The tick-tack-toe style lines will consciously make you place your subject somewhere on the grid. My friend Rick Sammon often says, “Dead center is deadly.” He has a point! Subjects in the middle of the frame are static and lifeless. Give them room to move & breath by simply moving them to the left or right of center. A small variation in placement can change the aesthetic value of your image.
Get out and shoot! - This may sound trite, but it’s relevant. If you want to be a better writer… write more. If you want to be a better guitarist… play more. If you want to be a better painter… paint more. No secrets here - if you want to be a better photographer, get out and shoot more. It doesn’t matter if the weather is warm, cold, raining or sunny… every weather condition offers endless photo opportunities.
Experiment - Get out of your comfort zone. We all have our favorite subjects and locations. Let’s face it… we’re all creatures of habit to some extent. There are plenty of ways to broaden your photographic horizons: Here are a few: Blur your photos… Intentional Camera Motion (ICM) is a popular genre these days… Try in-camera double exposures… sandwich a few images into one final picture (see plane photo)... Venture out on a bad weather day… Shoot close up images…take a day trip to someplace new just to explore.
“Down the Drain” Technique - Rockland Lake, NY
Buildings are built to sway - Long exposures can add to the movement… Eiffel Tower - Paris, France