Five Ways to Make Your Photographs More Interesting (without buying a single thing)
My dad sent me this the other day from xkcd:
And as funny (and true!) as this is, it got me thinking: with all these photographs everyone's taking and sharing all the time, it's a shame that so many of them are so...
(um... how to put this?)
...blah.
Yep... sorry. I'm as addicted to Instagram as the next guy, but it must be said that there a lot of yawn-inducing photographs out there clogging the feed. A vintage filter can only go so far toward transforming the latest photo of your cat into a work of art. So as my little mitzvah for the day, I thought I'd pass on a few ideas about how you can instantly jazz up your photos, iPhone or otherwise... and not one of them is going to cost you a dime.
1. First of all, when you're getting ready to snap that next photo of your dinner/baby/chia pet/whatever, consider changing your point of view. We all visually experience the world every day somewhere from around 5 to 7 feet off the ground, so photographs taken from that level look familiar... and totally unremarkable. Consider catching your crawling baby at eye level or climb on top of the nearest table to get your kids' game of twister from a bird's eye view. If you've ever seen me shoot a wedding or portrait session, you know I spend a fair amount of time doing both of these things... and that's because it works: unexpected angles are a sure way to breathe life into a tired portrait.2. When you have a subject or a setting that is particularly small or large, consider adding perspective by showing relative size. That sweet, tiny puppy you just got? Show just how small he is by putting him in his food bowl or between your husband's size 12 Chuck Taylors. Did you find a huge shell at the beach? Surround it with all the little shells you found. In photographs, huge skies/buildings/trees lose the impact they have in real life without something that gives them context. Contrast grabs our attention and renders further explanation unnecessary.
3. Pay attention to what is going on in the foreground and/or background of your image: if it contributes to the story you're telling or frames your subject in an interesting way, include it; if it doesn't, move it out of the way or change your perspective. What surrounds the subject of a photograph can be as important as the subject itself, and can be used to change the meaning and mood of a photograph dramatically.
4. Remember the old Sesame Street skit where Grover runs up to the camera ("NEAR!?!?") and then away ("FAR!!!")? Do that. Get right up on your subject and fill the frame or get far, far away and set the scene. Start to think of that comfortable distance of 5-10 feet from your subject as the photo dead zone... and avoid spending too much time there. Your photos will thank you!
5. Finally, remember that not every photo needs to show the whole subject. Details are often a more compelling way to draw the viewer in... like a preview for a movie or an appetizer before a meal.
Alright, alright... enough homework for now! Just remember that although the photos I've used in this post were snagged from former client sessions, the same rules apply to the everyday snapshots you grab with your iPhone as well! Spend two weeks consciously looking for these opportunities every time you pick up your camera, and before you know it, they'll be second nature.
Annnnnnddd... if you found this tutorial helpful, check out my Cameras & Cocktails classes! They're like this, but with more content, and are made even better with friends and beverages :)
xox,
annemie