As artists, we see the beauty in the everyday. It isn’t easy to portray that beauty in an image. Getting what we see in our mind’s eye into the final image seems almost impossible for most. Some of the most amazing photos have come from the most ordinary things, it is all about perspective. This rings true in photography as well. If you are having trouble creating that extraordinary photo, provided below are some tips that might help. With a little practice, your photos will take on that extraordinary appeal too.
Visualize First
This might not seem like a unique idea, but it is often overlooked. Before you even point your camera at an object, visualize it. Get a clear image in your mind’s eye of how you would like to see the final product appear. What are the assets of the object? What is the highlight of the shot? What makes the image stand out? How can you capture those assets in your photo shoot?
By visualizing the finished product before even taking the shot, it will enable the right tools to be chosen. If the right image is taken, a lot of post editing work online can be reduced. Many photographers lean on online editing tools too much, so they don’t put much focus into capturing the right image first.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds applies to picture composition. This rule is the one most often broken by beginners. Many photographers think that you have to center the image in the viewfinder of the camera. But, this is one of the biggest misconceptions. By centering the image in the viewfinder, the result is usually mediocre at best.
The rule of thirds is a simple and useful compositional tool.
Imagine the viewfinder having the above grid-lines breaking the square into thirds. The points of intersection for the grid lines above are the points to place the images of interest. For example, view the image below:
The bottom image adheres to the rule of thirds, whereas the top image does not.
Notice that the top image has the surfers centered in the frame. Not a terrible photo, but the bottom photo has more depth. It draws attention to the horizon. If the grid pattern above were laid on top of this image, it would be easier to see that the surfers are in the bottom two thirds and left third position of the grid lines. By shifting the focal point to this position the picture became more interesting. This is just a basic explanation; there are a lot of ways that this rule can be applied for stellar images.
Framing the Subject
Nature provides great opportunities for framing a shot. For example in the below photo, notice the trees used to frame the model. They provide texture and focus and draw the attention to the model.
There are so many things you can use to frame a subject. Notice that the model’s face isn’t in the center of the photo, it is in the top third of the image. If we had centered this image it wouldn’t have had the same effect. See below:
Even when using the rule of thirds, make sure there are not distracting elements in your photograph.
Notice how the trees take away from the model; they overpower the shot. This is another good example of not centering the photo in the frame.
Have a Subject
Determining the subject of your shot can either make or break it. For example take the shot below:
The perspective of a photograph can increase the dramatic effect of the images subject.
The message in this image is clear, there is a gun pointed at you. It is more alarming. If I had just used an image like this one:
A slight change in angle can change the overall impact of the image.
The subject is the man’s face and takes some of the attention away from the gun in his hand. The first one makes a bigger impression on the viewer.
These are just some fun tips to try when planning your next photo shoot. Play around with them and see what happens. You may just find your ordinary shots become extraordinary.
About the Authors:
Tony Fiorda of di Sogno Photography, an Atlanta based professional photographer, has built a career out of making ordinary images appear extraordinary.
Shannon Henrici is a beginner photographer who loves learning new tricks. She has been learning more and more about how to improve her skill with Tony Fiorda of di Sogno Photography.
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I loved whatbit was informing us of but the pictures itself which are linked along with it tells me a different story
Wow great article very informative!