You will never take that perfect shot if you don’t learn the basics of photographic composition. The fundamentals of photography need to be mastered, even if only to a limited degree, if you are going to stand a chance of taking that perfect shot. And, it is remarkably simple to do if you just implement the basics. The ground rules will take you to another level. Just try it and see. Here are some of my steps to that perfect photo.
1. Take a closer look
Don’t just stand and shoot away. Before you even point you camera take a closer look at the subject, object or scene that you are planning to shoot. The operative word here is planning. By taking a closer look you begin your plan of action. Once you are aware of all the elements you want to include you can look through the viewfinder and start looking more closely at your composition. Knowing your subject, as with anything, will give you a distinct advantage over your peers.
2. Take your time
If you are going to progress to more than a ‘point and shooter’, take you time and think. When you think about it this is so logical. An artist does it, a carpenter, scientist and all other occupations do it as well. Ponder what you want to achieve before pressing the shutter. The time that you take will be reflected in the final image. Take your time and look at how the various elements, subject, colour, shape, angles and light affect each other. Do colours complement each other? Do objects distract the viewer from the main subject? If you take your time you’ll notice these issues and make the necessary adjustments.
3. Look for detail
Most people look at the big picture but not the detail. By not getting closer you miss much of what a subject is all about. Of course, your wife or girlfriend might not want you to get in too close so be careful. By detail we mean look for the smaller patterns, texture and form. Using the macro feature on your compact camera or a macro lens on an SLR will get you in really close and bring out the detail of any subject. It’s this detail, the pattern of a fabric, the links in a chain or the texture of a building’s brickwork that adds an element of depth to your photography.
4. Make the most of the photo opportunity
Don’t just shoot a few shots of your subject. Once you have analysed it, thought about it and looked at the detail, start shooting. Shoot from every conceivable angle you can think of. Change your perspective or vantage point. Get higher and then lower. Use your feet to move around the subject. Get in closer. Mover further away. Change the camera’s angle by 45 degrees. Shoot in horizontal then vertical format. Hold the camera above your head. The key is to try shoot from every position you can think of. You want to exhaust all your options. Try things you have never done before. This is what creativity really is, trying new things that haven’t been done before.
5. Evaluate and shoot again
Once you have finished shooting start evaluating. You can do this in the camera if you have a bigger enough LCD screen or leave it till you get home. What you want to do is go through all of the images and delete those that are really bad or below average. This is called chimping when doing it in camera. Once you have evaluated you’ll see which photos are really great and which can be improved. Those that can be improved need to be shot again. Once the whole process is over, evaluate again and choose the images you feel are the best.
Now, it’s not guaranteed that you have taken the perfect shot but the chances are that you would have shot the perfect shot have increased exponentially. Why? Because you have implemented some basic techniques to improve. These steps practised on a regular basis are going ensure that your chances of shooting a perfect image increase every time. Practise makes perfect is what the old adage says, so keep practising.
Author Resource:-
Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I've just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free: CLICK HERE. You can also learn to take perfect photos in 21 steps by taking a look at my new ebook 21 Steps 2 Perfect Photos
Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.
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