By Linda Sherwood
Digital photography lets you take lots and lots of photos without wasting money. If the photo doesn’t work out, you can just delete it and try again. There are ways, however, to improve your photos without utilizing the delete button, and I wanted to share a few of those tips with you.
1. TAKE NATURAL SHOTS — Avoid posed shots, or at least take alternatives to the posed shot. Posed shots can come off badly. People can look stiff and uncomfortable. A good tip is to take photos of “unsuspecting” subjects. If your students are working on a project, grab your camera and take a picture before your students realize the camera is even being used.
2. GET CLOSER — When taking a picture, make sure most of the picture is what you are trying to capture. Most of the photo should be filled with what you are attempting to capture.
3. USE FUN POSES — If you do use a posed shot, be creative with the pose. You don’t necessarily have to have everyone facing the camera. It can create a very powerful shot if the people in your photo are paying attention to one another or are busy doing something.
4. GET A NEW PERSPECTIVE — Photography can be very interesting when taken from unusual perspectives. Don’t be afraid to move your camera to various levels when taking pictures. You can flat on the ground and take a picture looking up, or you might just want to kneel down. You can also climb up onto a chair or a ladder to get a different perspective.
5. PAY ATTENTION TO THE BACKGROUND — Too often there are perfectly find pictures of people except they have weird objects growing out of their head. The three-dimensional world can look quite differently in a two-dimension photo. The color of your background can also become a problem. Be aware of what else may be in your photo besides your primary subject. While you don’t want to shoot everything in front of a blank wall, you do want to keep the background in mind when you shoot the photos.
6. AVOID GRIP AND GRIN SHOTS — We’ve all seen them: a group of stiff-backed people gripping a check (or maybe a trophy or award), with fake grins plastered on their face. The grip and grin is an old standby. There are alternatives to this photo. Instead of having everyone standing stiffly, you could have the people shake hands or hug. If someone donated money, instead of having a picture of the person handing over a check, you can take a picture of how that money will be used. If it is for playground equipment, you could have the donor sit on one of the old swings, or stand on a merry-go-round.
7. TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS — You are using a digital camera, so it doesn’t cost you anything to take lots and lots of photos. Closed eyes or a poorly-timed sneeze can ruin the best of shots, so plan on snapping plenty of pictures. This gives you options, and you can be more selective as you sort through the various snapshots. You don’t have to print out all of the pictures, so there isn’t any reason not to take lots and lots of pictures. The only picture you will ever regret is the one you didn’t take.
8. DO NOT DELETE! — You should never delete photos from your camera. You buy extra memory cards so you can use them. The largest screens on digital cameras are only a couple of inches, which makes it impossible to judge the quality of the photo. Before you decide to delete any photo, you should view the photo on a large computer screen.
9. BE SELECTIVE — Just because you’ve taken 233 photos, doesn’t mean you have to print all 233 photos. Be selective and edit the 233 photos down to just the best quality photos. No one but you has to see all of the duds you’ve taken.
Linda Sherwood was a journalist for over 15 years and during that time she frequently took photos for the publications where she worked.
