Photography. The word comes from photo meaning light and graph meaning a drawing. How does an image go from a good photo to a great photo.
My First Camera
I bought my first DSLR at age 67 a few years after I retired. When my kids were growing up I was the parent that took photos but I never used anything more complicated than a ‘point and shoot’. I had always thought it would be cool to learn how to shoot with a ‘real’ camera.
When I was much younger I was always so impressed with Jacqueline Kennedy whose first job was that of a camera girl writing a column for the Washington Times-Herald. She was beautiful, from a wealthy family, sophisticated, was engaged to a handsome war hero soon to be Senator. And she was tall! We had zero in common. Why do we short women always envy tall women? Maybe it’s just me. My next life I’m coming back tall, slim, and blonde. Crap. I’m digressing again.
I took a class called How to use a DSLR at the local community college. If there had been a final exam I would have flunked it. My composition was always good but I really struggled with the mechanics of the camera. Math has always eluded me. So put number into something like the so called exposure triangle and I crumble. But I was determined to master it. It took me a while. But I did.
Essential elements of a great photo
So other than the proper exposure, what makes a good photo? A lot of elements come into play like the rule of thirds of composition, good light, texture, framing, leading lines. Much depends on whether you’re shooting portraits, landscapes, macro, nature, wildlife, sports, street photography, architecture. I’m drawn to landscapes but I feel my strength is photographing people. And here is what I’m looking for in a great photo of people.
Waiting for the right moment
The photo featured above in this article is a good example of waiting for the right elements to enter the frame. I was walking along the River Thames in London and wanted to capture dome of St. Paul’s as well as the Millennium Bridge. At first it was the bike that drew my attention to this spot. Who doesn’t like a great image of a bike? Several people walked by and one stopped to look at t he scene. It still seemed like a dull image to me. Someone came by with a baby. Several tourists walked by with cameras. I’m a tourist. Why would I want to take a photo of another tourist?
Finally, the guy to the right stopped and turned away from the river. It wasn’t perfect until he crossed his leg (angles are always important with people) and put his hand up to his face. Snap, snap, snap.
Improve the frame for a great photo
Two other examples of the frame getting better when someone or something walks into it are below. In the beach image the photo got more interesting when the young girl got out of the water and headed to the water with a bucket of water. Will she douse her dad? It adds some tension.
The other photo is of my daughter and her family.for their family Christmas photo. We had decided not to include their dog Sophie because trying to get a dog in a family photo can be like nailing jello to a tree. So I got them all posed exactly how I wanted them when Sophie just walks over and perfectly plops herself down in front of the family. Wait. What? I snapped immediiately. She was there for all of 10 seconds but it makes me look alike a frickin genius.
When the light is so right it just begs you to shoot
Here are two examples of shooting just because the light grabs you.A few years ago when I was on a road trip in northern Spains (I know! Sounds really cool, right?) with my sister Casey, we visited the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Thee was a special exhibit of a winding bronze sculpture large enough to walk through. Ahead of me I noticed a guy who was looking up at the top of the structure and the light on his face was just stunning. I took a few shots of him.
Right? How could I not photograph that? Does that make a great photo?And it didn’t hurt that he had a handsome face. Don’t judge. Turns out he was a roady for Guns and Roses.
Sometime it’s all about the light
The second example is of a young monk that came and sat next to me while I was visiting a monastery in Bhutan. He didn’t speak. He just wanted to sit next to me. The light hitting his face from a window above him is what drew me to take the photo. There was no great gesture or emotion. In short, sometimes the light is enough.
Waiting for the right gesture for a great photo
Gesture can be everything. And it’s worth waiting for. Like the two children below. The Egyptian boy had been following me begging me to buy a bowl from him.Finally, I told him I would if he let me photograph him. He acquiesced. Does it make a great photo? I think so. Without the hand to his mouth indicating his discomfort, the head bowed, it wouldn’t be the same emotion. Furthermore, the light is good but not what would draw you to take a shot. In this circumstance the emotion and gesture is what makes the photo great.It is indispensable.
The young Indian girl on the right was on the ghats of the Ganges in Varnasi. She had just finished bathing in the sacred river. She approached me indicating she wanted me to take her photo. There is no need to pose a child like this one. Just wait for the right moment of gesture and emotion which happens when she brings the sari over the lower part of her face. It’s magical.
Clearly, I’m not a Steve McCurry, Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange or an Annie Liebowitz . I study them. And I learn from them. And I will continue to study and learn until my mind loses that capacity. My best suggestion for making a great photo is to find an artist whose work moves you. Follow them. Good things will happen.
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