The advice about “shooting into the light” I find counterintuitive, but it works in the example photos. There are no closeups of people and they are often silhouettes.
The advice about “shooting into the light” I find counterintuitive, but it works in the example photos. There are no closeups of people and they are often silhouettes.
I, too, find it counterintuitive! But then I looked at some of my recent photos and, where I'm not trying to do a more portraiture-style photo, shooting into or across the light does make for a...
I, too, find it counterintuitive! But then I looked at some of my recent photos and, where I'm not trying to do a more portraiture-style photo, shooting into or across the light does make for a lot of drama and contrast for what would otherwise be uninteresting photos. I also noticed that quite a few of these photos were more "shot from the hip" instead of more composed, so I guess there's a lesson there for me!
Quick edit: It strikes me as interesting that my wife (not a photographer, no interest in photography skills) shoots into the light constantly, something that kind of drove me nuts until I thought of all the photos we have that she took where it worked very well (mostly landscapes/nature pictures).
Really great tips altogether! The timing of this post is perfect as I was actually just thinking about trying to improve my photography skills. Having recently moved to the city near me, I've...
Really great tips altogether! The timing of this post is perfect as I was actually just thinking about trying to improve my photography skills. Having recently moved to the city near me, I've noticed myself taking more photos of my surroundings. I'll always take a few seconds to properly frame things but my photos are always just okay at best. I'll definitely be trying to take some of these tips to heart.
This often goes without saying, but one thing to remember is that while the methods in the article will lead to good photos, not all good photos are the results of the methods in the article....
This often goes without saying, but one thing to remember is that while the methods in the article will lead to good photos, not all good photos are the results of the methods in the article. There are loads of other ways to light, compose, contrast things in photos. I would also say that if you are doing phone pictures, then using filters or making colour adjustments so that the photos match more to your vision of what you imagine your photo to be like is an important part and to not forget that as an option.
One of the best and most overlooked ways to improve with photos is to journal and share your best photos from shooting days. My old mentor would ask for a monthly photo along with a few paragraphs...
One of the best and most overlooked ways to improve with photos is to journal and share your best photos from shooting days. My old mentor would ask for a monthly photo along with a few paragraphs detailing how and why we took it. Was a pain at first but after a while you look forward to having your work seen and discussed.
I'm looking to get back into photos too so if you want to compare notes every once in a while I wouldn't mind.
I don’t really agree with about half of these. Photography is a game of intention, and the half that I disagree with are for a particular flavor of art photos. But if you are taking art photos, I...
I don’t really agree with about half of these. Photography is a game of intention, and the half that I disagree with are for a particular flavor of art photos. But if you are taking art photos, I think it is more important to develop your own style. The advice of shooting against the light is a good example. One of the biggest ways photographers figure out how to take good photos is to figure out lighting, but lighting is something that you have to figure out for yourself to develop your own style and aesthetics.
Then again I’m not really doing art photography as a hobby anymore and my pictures were never that great to begin with so maybe my advice isn’t worth listening to.
I think the emphasis on actually going out and taking lots of photos is the most important advice in the piece, and I think that someone following that portion will be able to learn where they...
I think the emphasis on actually going out and taking lots of photos is the most important advice in the piece, and I think that someone following that portion will be able to learn where they want to diverge from his other advice as they become more experienced.
I agree. A great docu-series that is unfortunately difficult to find, is Contacts. Some of the bests to ever do it sitting down and talking through their process and walking through a sheet of...
I agree. A great docu-series that is unfortunately difficult to find, is Contacts. Some of the bests to ever do it sitting down and talking through their process and walking through a sheet of contact prints. To hear Robert Doisneau reminisce about spending hours trying to get the right shot really puts into perspective that you just need to shoot.
The advice about “shooting into the light” I find counterintuitive, but it works in the example photos. There are no closeups of people and they are often silhouettes.
I, too, find it counterintuitive! But then I looked at some of my recent photos and, where I'm not trying to do a more portraiture-style photo, shooting into or across the light does make for a lot of drama and contrast for what would otherwise be uninteresting photos. I also noticed that quite a few of these photos were more "shot from the hip" instead of more composed, so I guess there's a lesson there for me!
Quick edit: It strikes me as interesting that my wife (not a photographer, no interest in photography skills) shoots into the light constantly, something that kind of drove me nuts until I thought of all the photos we have that she took where it worked very well (mostly landscapes/nature pictures).
Really great tips altogether! The timing of this post is perfect as I was actually just thinking about trying to improve my photography skills. Having recently moved to the city near me, I've noticed myself taking more photos of my surroundings. I'll always take a few seconds to properly frame things but my photos are always just okay at best. I'll definitely be trying to take some of these tips to heart.
This often goes without saying, but one thing to remember is that while the methods in the article will lead to good photos, not all good photos are the results of the methods in the article. There are loads of other ways to light, compose, contrast things in photos. I would also say that if you are doing phone pictures, then using filters or making colour adjustments so that the photos match more to your vision of what you imagine your photo to be like is an important part and to not forget that as an option.
One of the best and most overlooked ways to improve with photos is to journal and share your best photos from shooting days. My old mentor would ask for a monthly photo along with a few paragraphs detailing how and why we took it. Was a pain at first but after a while you look forward to having your work seen and discussed.
I'm looking to get back into photos too so if you want to compare notes every once in a while I wouldn't mind.
I don’t really agree with about half of these. Photography is a game of intention, and the half that I disagree with are for a particular flavor of art photos. But if you are taking art photos, I think it is more important to develop your own style. The advice of shooting against the light is a good example. One of the biggest ways photographers figure out how to take good photos is to figure out lighting, but lighting is something that you have to figure out for yourself to develop your own style and aesthetics.
Then again I’m not really doing art photography as a hobby anymore and my pictures were never that great to begin with so maybe my advice isn’t worth listening to.
I think it works better if these are considered things to try rather than rules.
I think the emphasis on actually going out and taking lots of photos is the most important advice in the piece, and I think that someone following that portion will be able to learn where they want to diverge from his other advice as they become more experienced.
I agree. A great docu-series that is unfortunately difficult to find, is Contacts. Some of the bests to ever do it sitting down and talking through their process and walking through a sheet of contact prints. To hear Robert Doisneau reminisce about spending hours trying to get the right shot really puts into perspective that you just need to shoot.
dude's instagram is worth a follow, if you use it -- @snapsbyfox