016 - May 21, 2010 -- Get the Red OutThe Benefits of Throw-Away Snapshots
You see a wonderful photo subject – and you quickly click a photo. Later when you have time to review the photos, you discover that you certainly didn’t capture the beauty and grandeur that you wanted to photograph. If you printed out all of your photo files, you’re probably wondering why you wasted the time and ink. Most photographers do capture their share of throw-away snapshots. So, how can you turn that snapshop into a keeper photo? The short answer is you probably can’t and, unless there’s some aspect in the photo that you may use later, you may as well delete it from your computer. But not before you’ve examined the photo and asked yourself “how did I miss the picture?” This is the important question that allows you to gradually increase the percentage of photos that you’re proud to show your friends.
What can cause a great photo opportunity to become a throw-away snapshot? Lots of things. Jerking the exposure button instead of squeezing it. Bad exposure – maybe caused by not allowing time for the camera to set its exposure and focus. The flash washed out part of the subject matter – or wasn’t strong enough to light the subject. File size was set too small to allow the size print you wanted. Shutter speed was too slow to freeze any motion. These are some of the technical problems you may encounter and relatively easy to adjust for when you take the next series of photos. Generally, much can be corrected by allowing yourself time to set up the shot that you want and squeezing the shutter button halfway down to set the camera exposure and focus, then squeezing the shutter button the rest of the way down to release the shutter and record the photo. As you study your throw-away snapshots, you can quickly determine if the quality can be solved by a simple technical solution and then resolve to adapt the necessary changes into your photographing habits.
Improving the artistic quality of your photographs is also not difficult - I think this is the aspect that attracts me to photography most.
Determine what you want to photograph (this may seem like a simple matter to answer, but sometimes it is not). Take time to determine what aspects of the scene attract you to it; then frame your photo around that aspect; if the aspect is an object, compose the picture so the subject is the main visual focal point and prominent in the frame; zoom in or move closer – each will create a different style photo. If the attraction to the subject is an interaction with a secondary object, try to bring both the subject and secondary object into the photo. Remember, it isn’t always necessary to get the whole subject and secondary object into the frame of the photo; often, a small portion that hints of more creates a photo that stimulates the viewer’s imagination.
Sometimes a good photograph is more than just what you see. Sometimes the more difficult portion is to capture a mood or feeling of a location in the photograph: the serenity of a beautiful sunset over Lake Erie, the power of Niagara Falls, the mists and mystique of the old growth forests along the South Branch of Cattaraugus Creek. When you photograph scenes like these, most of us would like the photo to capture emotions similar to those that we experienced and pass them on to those viewing the photos. My approach to photographing a non-tangible image is to try to isolate the parts of the landscape that have the greatest impact on me. I’ve found that sometimes focusing on smaller portions of the entire scene or trying to view it from different angles helps capture the intent. Try composing your photo so there are reference objects in the foreground as well as background behind your primary subject; this helps give reference to size and scope of your subject.
Most of the throw-away snapshots can be valuable study tools – What were you trying to capture in the photos? How close to your intent did you come? When in doubt, take lots of exposures altering slight details and compare your results. Which angles worked best and why?
Tip #1: Remember – when you snap off a photograph, you usually jerk the camera and it becomes a throw-away snapshot.
Tip #2: The camera needs time to set the exposure and find the focus; hurry either one and you have another throw-away snapshot.
Tip #3: Even the best photographers take lots of throw-aways and constantly compare their results.
Tip #4: Start your photo by determining the result you intend; now you can learn as much from what goes right in the finished photo as what goes wrong.
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