I love to take photographs. I remember that one of my favorite photographs was of a cyclist in Lake Charles. The face was not showing because it was obscured by a smudge on the car’s window. However, the rest of the photograph popped out and captured the daily life of some people in Lake Charles as there are many people who ride bicycles to get to places every day. Unfortunately, I do not know what happened to this photo, even though it was a digital photo. At the time, I wasn’t sure why this photograph was so amazing to me, but since I took that photo, I’ve learned what things can help create impressive photographs.
Composition
Using composition in photography is important. There is a rule called “the rule of thirds.” This means dividing (either with a tool on the camera or by imagine) the camera’s view into nine squares like a tic-tac-toe board. Placing the interesting subjects along any of the lines will help the photograph to be impressive. It isn’t always a true rule, but it usually works. By now, I realize that that bicycle was along at least one of the thirds lines. It also had curves and lines that drew the eye along them to look at the subject matter. The lines pointing to the subject matter are also important. These are often called lead-in lines.
Lighting
Lighting matters in photography. Shooting during the sunrise or sunset is a good idea because things are colorful and the light is less harsh. If you exercise outside, a good time to exercise is during the mornings or evenings. You can bring along a tripod to help steady the camera and it’ll give you a good workout. Bringing a flash is also a good idea as subjects to the side of the photographs will not be lit. My photo was taken during the day, but I was under the small part of the gas station that covers the gas pumps. This made the light less harsh, but it still gave good light for the photo. I had no idea that at the time that I was creating an ideal lighting condition, but now I understand what happened.
Subject, Weather, and Timing
Many impressive photographs have to do with luck. Finding the right subject at the right time can be luck. This is what happened when I took the picture of the cyclist. I happened to have my camera and the cyclist happened to be coming to the gas station. It was only a coincidence that he was there at the same time I was there. If there is a subject you want to capture in a photograph, observe at different times of the day and notice the lighting. Go for walks or drives and observe the subject every day. Make sure to always bring your photography equipment. One day the clouds may be perfect. I know there are days I wish I had my camera with me because of how the clouds or the sky looked.
Exposures and Angles
I was using a simple point and shoot camera when I took the picture of the cyclist, so I didn’t have much choice about exposure and angles. I may have held the camera at a good angle for the picture. However, if you are a serious photographer, you are going to consider using different lenses for different exposures and different angles. It is important to remember to get close to your subjects when taking a photo with a wide angle lens. You can try different shots, too, in case you don’t like the first result.
Color Correct and Sharpen
What photographers won’t tell you is that the best photos are edited after they are taken. I did not edit the photograph of the cyclist. However, impressive photos often have been sharpened and have had their colors corrected in a graphics program. Learn how to use your favorite graphics program to do this and you will be able to create many impressive photographs.
Patience
Patience is always the key to a great photograph. Sometimes you can easily run for your camera, but you may want to consider keeping your camera with you if you want to take photographs. If there is an interesting subject in your town, many photographers will have a picture of that subject. In Lake Charles, may people take picture of the bridge over the lake. It is one of the most common images found when searching for pictures of Lake Charles. Taking a picture of the bridge over the lake is not something original in Lake Charles. Finding an original subject is a key to a good photograph and you often have to be patient to find it since you will need to look and something original may happen at a moment’s notice.
Sources:
Personal Experience
Peterson, D. (n.d.). How To Take A ‘WOW’ Photo by Digital Photo Secrets.Get Your Hands on Fantastic Pro-Photography Knowledge! by Digital Photo Secrets . Retrieved January 4, 2012, from http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/202/how-to-take-a-wow-photo/