How do you spot a good picture opportunity? I'm very rubbish at it, i just dont know what to look for...
Practice and stealing ideas from other people e.g. the photo threads on here and Flickr etc...
composition and framing are probably the most important 'common' aspects, read up on them.
You just look for a good picture, then snap it.
Throw a bone out there, portraits, landscapes, something else?
Rule of thirds.
Don't photoshop.
Learn about light.
It's not about megapixels.
Spunk loads of money on kit.
Buy decent lenses.
Where to actually start.
Lets not talk about Canon D whatevers, im talking about cheeky weekend riding snaps here, possibly with an iphone....
Well, it ain't going to happen then, is it?
What's a good opportunity for the OP?
Have a look through photos you like, that appeal to you. Try to determine what makes them special. Sometimes it's framing, sometimes it's trying to capture a moment or having something to create a bit of interest. You don't need fancy cameras or to understand f-stops.
Subject, composition and lighting....
A good way to start would be finding pics you like and trying to achieve the same sort of result.
Lets not talk about Canon D whatevers, im talking about cheeky weekend riding snaps here, possibly with an iphone....
Take lots then. I keep my phone in a easily accessible side pocket. Get used to unlocking and shooting one handed while riding. Once you've stopped and faffed you will have missed the moment.
You don't need fancy cameras or to understand f-stops.
You don't need fancy cameras, great exposures or compositions to record great memories either.
I found that having a project to work on gave me some focus, back when I had time to play with cameras. Pick a random subject and go out and look for things that match it. Easy stuff like:
Red
Straight lines
Curves
Blue
Yellow
Circles
etc.
etc.
for starters. That removes your need to find a subject and lets you focus on composition. So for red, just go for a walk/ride with you camera, keeping an eye out for red stuff. Then take a picture of it. You might find something that can fill the frame, say the side of a shipping container, or a scene which is mostly dull/monotone but with a single red object within it.
For straight lines/curves you can end up with some abstract stuff like looking up at office block windows or puddle reflections, or more traditional scenes like railway tracks disappearing into the distance.
For each one, you're not taking a photo 'for' anything, other than to improve your photography, and you don't have to think an interesting subject, just find a subject/scene which matches your title, and you can just focus on composition. Do close-ups, shots from above/below/sideways. You may end up with loads of rubbish, but there will be some gems in there.
After a while looking for the interesting composition becomes second nature, and when you spot a subject you like you'll have a load of options for compositions.
There used to be a great website called Worth1000 which ran competitions along the above lines. It seems to have become [url= http://www.designcrowd.com/community/?type=photography ]www.designcrowd.com[/url] now, but the old comps are archived (great for browsing for inspiration) and new ones seem to be running. They are aimed at different levels too - beginner/intermediate/expert etc. if you fancy joining in. You get some useful feedback on your work, in the beginner comps it's usually friendly and constructive.
Have a look. Get a feel for what you like looking at. Then go and try it!
Put the camera away and go out armed with your eyes. You can frame a shot with two fingers and thumbs. Look at the world, look at light, look at people, look at views. Everything you see is a potential photograph. Do that continually for a fortnight, then pick up your camera and see what happens.
You don't need fancy cameras, great exposures or compositions to record great memories either.
Very very true, good photo's are whatever you think they are.
Like this, simple but effective I think.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4104/4992209809_ac08ce29de_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4104/4992209809_ac08ce29de_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/8B9o3V ]Durham, & Hunton steam day 013[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmygrainger/ ]jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr
esselgruntfuttock - Member
Very very true, good photo's are whatever you think they are.
That's a dangerous statement to go throwing around STW...
That's a dangerous statement to go throwing around STW...
I know, It's like 'whats the best ever song' thread!
Lets not talk about Canon D whatevers, im talking about cheeky weekend riding snaps here, possibly with an iphone...
It's perfectly possible to take excellent photos with an iPhone, as others have said, composition is a large part of what makes a good photo. One thing to do is to use the guide lines on the screen to place things of interest, the 'law of thirds', read up about it, that's a quick and easy thing to do, although rules [i]are[/i] made to be broken.
As CFH says that thread is a fabulous source of great photos, look through and make a mental note of the ones that catch your eye, and try to use what makes them appealing to you to make your own photos better.
Sometimes, though, you see a subject, a scene, or whatever, and whatever you do you just can't get it to work as a photo; doesn't matter, either just shoot the scene you see as a memory of a great day out, or try again another day when the change of light might make all the different.
Some photographers will arrive at a particular place, and wait for hours just to get the perfect ligh, just try another time.
For me its about capturing memories mainly. Usually landscapes. Its only basic pics for me but look into the corners of the viewfinder / screen as well as the centre. Look where the light is coming from. If what you a pic of is close then look at what is behind the thing as well and move so the background is good as well as the object
Not a 'great' photo, but I happened to be at this particular place, somewhere I've been countless times before over the last thirty-odd years, on a fairly foggy day, just when the fog and mist lifted a bit and the sun came through.
I hung around for about fifteen-twenty minutes, as the light came and went, trying to catch the crepuscular rays through the trees, and I think this is the best one I took.
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Timing is everything.
See what I mean? Excellent shot CZ.
Very very true, good photo's are whatever you think they are.
No that's an opinion, which is worth whatever you want it to be worth and as such is entirely self validating. It's the difference between liking something and it being regarding as good, great, important or whatever.
A 'good photo' is one that stands up to scruitny and appraisal by a lot of people, many of which know something about appraising work of artistic merit.
A 'great' photo is one that changes the way people think or feel.
I'll keep taking photographs for the rest of my life hopefully and maybe in that time I'll take one or two good or great photo's. I don't think I've taken one so far though there's plenty I like personally.
Light, Light, Light oh and dont forget Light.
Like this, simple but effective I think.
One man's simple but effective is another man's out-of-focus and bland. š
Rule of thirds is the very first thing that'll massively improve your photography:
http://learnprophotography.com/rule-of-thirds/
Practice that enough and you'll get your eye in then start to find exceptions, but it's a good foundation for most images. Some phone cameras even have a thirds grid overlay in the settings.
My second favourite rule is "Zoom with your feet". Especially if you're using a phone.
Contrary to advice above, *do* tinker with images in photoshop or another image editor. The purist argument that everything must be done in camera is a load of bollocks, but it's a doctrinal one you will bump into when you talk to some photographers. The act of composing a photograph in the first place is manipulating the image ("Left a bit to exclude that ugly tree, down a bit to make the greenest grass fill more of the frameā¦ there! much prettier!" etc.). Most pros don't have hangups about using darkrooms or photoshop to tweak images, you just have to not let it make you lazy. The more work you can do with the camera, the less you have to correct later, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't edit a photo after it's taken.
Principles of composition and lighting apply just as much to photos taken with an iphone as those taken with high-end SLRs. Agree with rule of thirds comment above.
I've taken some photos I'm proud of with my phone and even won a competition with one. It's only when you look at it large that you wish you'd used a bigger camera!
I also don't have a problem with a bit of post-processing; emphasis on "a bit". OTT HDR images look crap imo.
Composition is the key and it takes a bit of practice to spot a good picture. Here are two that I spotted recently; the snow scene I saw completely by chance from the car window as I was driving along so I stopped and ran back. The second is more of a business magazine shot but I like the composition and subject very much. I was just hanging around with my colleagues there and spotted the picture.
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Globalati's second pic is a perfect example of why pros use models and prepare sets!
First one is nice but would benefit from a solid grad from the bottom to reduce the distraction of those shapes bottom/left...
Composition is the key and it takes a bit of practice to spot a good picture
Agreed, however the comp in your first shot is poor imo. almost a third of the shot is comprised of a dark bank in the foreground that adds nothing to the shot. Also the horizon is straight through the middle, again poor composition.
There's a good book called 'The Photographer's Eye' used copies are a tenner on Amazon, it's nice & visual with loads of examples and focuses on composition without all the faf RE: camera/settings/etc
So I intend to, but haven't read the above advisory's yet. However, walking about this evening I came across this completely randomly, and I thought it looked nice:
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2056/33057342985_bc75ab9cfe_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2056/33057342985_bc75ab9cfe_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Snawnp ]Untitled[/url]
Perhaps not bad for a first attempt.
It's a building.
As a starting point, can I ask why you didn't take a few steps forward in front of that lamppost that is right in the way of the building (it's very distracting) and would also mean you don't get that overhang in the top left corner...?
I'd have said the same. Nonetheless, it's an interesting shot.
And don't always take photos at head height. Looking up at the building from ground level might have made for a more interesting angle.
Mostly my stuff is by chance rather than going looking for a shot, but will make an effort to take the shot. A nice sunset, whereas many may just say that's a nice sunset and maybe they're driving (or riding bikes), I'll stop and take the shot. There's composition in it of course, though sometimes it's ready composed by nature and by being in the right spot at the time.
This one for example. Been out all day skiing and had the SLR with me, was taking action shots and stuff, but this one trumped the whole day. Camera in backpack and walking up a path with full ski gear towards the hotel and just saw this scene at the exact spot I was so made the effort to dig the camera out of the bag while rest of the group walked on. Was just a quick take the shot and then continue walking on. On review on the computer it turned out better than I expected.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2267/2240882601_e874ccecb4_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2267/2240882601_e874ccecb4_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/4q27jV ]Sunset at Avoriaz[/url]
Kryton57
How do you spot a good picture opportunity? I'm very rubbish at it, i just dont know what to look for...
Kryton57So I intend to, but haven't read the above advisory's yet. However, walking about this evening I came across this completely randomly, and I thought it looked nice:
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Okay, I'm not going to bother critiquing your brewery picture but referencing it, I'll give you some tips. A lot of people have mentioned composition and lighting and they aren't wrong but the main thing is to have an objective mindset.
When you see a subject that interests you enough to photograph it, you have to start a critical thought process. When you hold the camera up and look at the screen or the viewfinder ask yourself if you are creating an interesting photograph or just snapping what you (and everyone else) sees.
So the brewery photograph is a good example of snapping what you see, what people do on holiday, there's nothing wrong with it, but there's also nothing interesting about it unless someone has never seen that building. You can create interest with composition, framing, lighting and these take practice, but you'll never get anywhere unless you question what you're doing while you're doing it.
Take your time, and take lots of photos, if I get one good one I really like out of 5 or 6 or even more of the same thing that's good, light will change, reflections, the natural environment, wind etc, most important thing I think is not to worry about looking a prat, I end up in some right awkward positions to take what I think is a decent photo.
Think about the composition, don't use zoom if you're using a phone, move yourself, I try and get a ratio of 2/3 sky to 1/3 land on anything landscape, don't know where I read that years ago, but it seems to work.
I'm not amazing but take a look at my instagram if you want: https://www.instagram.com/205sam/
I don't know what to look for
Inspiration can be found in endless variety and subject matter. May I ask what is your interest in photography? Is it the 'wow' factor of picture, or the literal subject matter of a picture? The technical achievement? The pleasing composition? The emotions described, or the emotions a picture inspires in you? A combination of all of these things?
We all see differently. When I make what I consider to be a good picture (rarely great, but I have taken a few in my career) I'm inspired by one or a number of these things. Sometimes the simplest things please my eye/mind. A mushroom, an expression on a face, the light on a landscape, a cloud, an old doorknob, etc...
Example: I one evening saw a cat on a heavily-shadowed cobbled street. The sun was low in the sky and the scene was rich in tone and texture woth shafts of light finding gaps between the huddled houses. Another cat came along and roused it, then both cats crossed paths and left in opposite directions like the proverbial ships in the night. I snapped the scene and later did a quick monochrome edit that suited the dark, contrasting tonality of the and simple composition. It pleased me, a timeless scene. Cats crossing paths in their twilight domain.
These are some of the things I look for. Have a think what inspires you? And have a think what inspires you about photography? (See my first paragraph). If you jot such notes to yourself about pictures that you like then you may 'see' more clearly. Hope this helps!
Spend time taking pictures of normal objects around your house
Don't move anything just make the most interesting shots you can
When you have made the familiar interesting then look at other stuff with the same eye
With my SLR I've sometimes gone out with just a fixed lens, like a 35mm (Nikon DX camera so equivalent-ish to a 50mm on a full frame camera). Makes me move myself about to frame the shot and makes me think about the composition more, rather than just stand in one spot with a zoom snapping away. Also a prime lens can be rather nice quality š
*Edit - just read jimjams thoughts (with which I wholly agree).
you have to start a critical thought process. When you hold the camera up and look at the screen or the viewfinder ask yourself if you are creating an interesting photograph or just snapping what you (and everyone else) sees.
OP, take a look at some great photos, ie in a book or online (ie 500px or some Flickr pools), choose a few photos that you really like, then jot down what it is that you like and/or dislike about them. <----The 'critical thought process'.
Spend a good while on 'drinking in the image', and longer still on thinking/making notes. Keep at it until a 'rapport' builds between what you are initially seeing and now what it is that you are thinking/observing.
Afterwards you might like to compare your thoughts on composition with common recommendations:
[url] https://petapixel.com/2016/09/14/20-composition-techniques-will-improve-photos/ [/url]
With my SLR I've sometimes gone out with just a fixed lens, like a 35mm (Nikon DX camera so equivalent-ish to a 50mm on a full frame camera). Makes me move myself about to frame the shot and makes me think about the composition more, rather than just stand in one spot with a zoom snapping away. Also a prime lens can be rather nice quality
I agree completely. I bought a 35mm Nikon prime and it's not been removed from the camera since!
Sometimes it's just luck. But having an eye for things makes it more satisfying.
Like everything else, practice. Look for the unusual in the usual. Then you get on to your technique.
roneSometimes it's just luck. But having an eye for things makes it more satisfying.
Luck plays a part, anyone can get lucky and take one great photograph, however the more unusual, challenging or difficult the circumstances the less luck will be a factor. If you gave 100 people a camera and sent them off into the forest to photograph a DH race for example there might be one or two good shots among them, yet pro photogs like Sven Martin and co consistently get amazing shots.
The more you practice the luckier you get.