Thursday, June 16, 2005

MAKE a photograph ~ don't "take” a snapshot!


asLeep
Originally uploaded by spuNkymoNky.
Technique: The most important "secret" of good photography is the thought the photographer puts into a picture before s/he even considers what type of film to use! The point here is that we have to train ourselves to think before we shoot! What color is our subject? How can we make that color (or shade) stand out?

We have to ask ourselves: What do we want to emphasize in our picture? How will we direct our viewers’ eye to our subject? If it's an outdoors photograph, how will we separate our main subject from any other distracting elements in our photograph? At which angle should we shoot? Is it important to establish place in this photograph (i.e., is it important for the viewer to know where our subject is? Or do we want to hide the location)? If we're shooting people, what is our victim’s least appealing feature (i.e., a large nose, a bald head, pot belly, lots of wrinkles, etc.:)? How can we hide or de-emphasize it? What's our subject's most appealing feature (i.e., eyes, profile, smile, boobs - oops! sorry, I couldn't resist:)? How can we emphasize the attractive aspects of our subjects? These are the questions photographers have to ask, before we shoot.

THINK before you shoot! MAKE a photograph - don't "take” a snapshot! Review the "Tips" in this auction; take the time and thought to prepare your photo sessions long before your subject arrives! Learn to know what you want before you put film in your camera. Learn to "design” your pictures before you pick up your camera! Take a piece of paper and a pencil, and sketch out what you want in the picture you’re considering; this will be a great help in the beginning, and after a few weeks or months of doing this, you'll start to do it all in your head, and won't need the pencil and paper any more.

Is your subject a child? If so, have some colorful toys around. Is your victim a man? Have him bring a suit and some jeans to the session. Is your subject an attractive and shapely young woman? Ask her to bring a dressy outfit and a sexy outfit or a bikini. Is your subject older? Be sure to have an umbrella or softbox ready to hide the lines and wrinkles. Shooting outdoors? Avoid placing a subject in the bright sunlight (which causes squinting eyes and harsh shadows), and find some open shade to shoot in (overcast days are great for outdoor shoots). I promise you that a good photograph doesn't require the genius of an Einstein - it just takes a little thought and preparation (creativity and practice doesn't hurt either)! You don't have to study photography for 20 years, just train yourself to think before you shoot! Don't try to plan out 100 subjects all at once; think about one or two, and then use 10 rolls of film on just a few ideas. Shoot from different angles; shoot from different heights; shoot with different lighting angles; shoot with color film; shoot with black and white film; think, then shoot! Pretty soon, you'll wake up one day and realize that you've changed; you'll look at the world differently; you'll "see" things most people never even notice; one day, you'll realize that you've become something special; something different, but different in a most amazing and wonderful way; you will have become - a photographer!


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