10 Reasons Why Your Photos Aren’t As Good As They Could Be
By Mike Randolph
1. Centring everything: Whether they’re people, mushrooms, or white-tailed deer, subjects aren’t meant to be bull’s-eyed. Spice it up a little. Place the centre of interest somewhere other than the centre of the frame. And take note of the horizon – position it near the top or bottom, not always through the middle.
2. Overexposure/underexposure: Your camera’s meter works well in average conditions. But shooting a landscape with the sun in the frame, for instance, will cause underexposure of your subject. If you have a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, “bracketing” the shot – deliberately opening and closing the aperture one or two stops and taking several photographs – will make sure you’ll end up with at least one good one.
3. Lack of focus, part 1: Ask yourself why you want to take a picture before you click. Then decide on the best way to tell your story. A different angle often helps.
4. Lack of focus, part 2: Always focus the camera on the most important element. Whenever there’s a person in the frame, focus on the person. When shooting close up, focus on the eyes.
5. Red eye: Few things are as disappointing as getting prints back from the lab showing your favourite aunt with fiery red eyes. The problem occurs when a subject’s pupils become dilated in low light. The flash bounces off the retina and reflects red light to the camera. Solve this by asking the subject to look into a bright light for a few seconds before you shoot; taking more than one shot (the flash will cause the pupils to retract); holding your flash to one side, if it’s separate from the camera, or bouncing it off the ceiling if it tilts; or by asking your subject to look slightly away from the camera.
6. Distracting elements: Simplify. Take time to look for objects in the background that will distract from your subject, then either remove them or change your position.
7. Camera shake: A slow shutter speed or telephoto lens will magnify camera shake. In low light, or with a telephoto lens, use a rock or a log to steady the camera. Even better, use a tripod.
8. Wooden models: Posing can be fun, but only professional models do it well. The best shots are usually candid. Stick around long enough and your subjects will eventually ignore you.
9. Lens flare: Lens flare is the term for circles of golden light in a photograph caused by the sun reflecting off the glass elements in the camera lens. While a little flare can be evocative, mostly it’s plain ugly. Buy a lens hood or use your hand to shade the lens.
10. Boring light: Sunlight can provide texture or take it away. Experiment with shooting into the sun, and always have your camera ready in the morning or the evening. Cloudy days are great for shooting wildflowers and animals – even people. Just try to avoid including too much white sky or dull water in your picture.
Published in the June 2002 issue of Cottage Life magazine.
Copyright © 2002 by Cottage Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph, or artwork, for other than personal use, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden.
