How To Take A ‘WOW’ Photo by Digital Photo Secrets. Some pictures are simply impossible to describe. They yank us right out of our seats and force us to pay attention. The only thing we have left to say is “Wow! I didn’t think you could do that.” It is the photographer’s dream and ultimate goal to produce pictures like this, and even the best photographers will tell you it isn’t something that happens every day.
While luck is definitely a factor, there are ways to increase your odds of creating a stunning image whenever you go out and shoot. Kill ‘em with composition You will notice that the picture above is not perfectly centered. Shoot when the light is right The most interesting photos are oftentimes very colorful. If you have an external flash, bring it along. Try to find the right subjects at the right moments with the right weather This is the part that constitutes most of the “luck” in photography. Pay attention to the weather. Consider alternate exposures and angles Your lens is a very important instrument. .
Be patient. Lomo Photography. The following tip on getting digital images to look like Lomo Images was submitted by DPS reader – Frank Lazaro. You can see his photography at his Flickr page and see some of his Lomo shots here. From the first time I saw a photo that looked like this, I wanted to shoot one of my own. But, for the longest time I couldn’t figure it out how people took photos look like this. Then one day searching the web, I realized I needed a Lomo LC-A camera. Low and behold I went out and bought 2 of these babies. I searched and searched and after trying several different Photoshop methods, I finally came up with my own using a mix of different techniques. Get Free Weekly Digital Camera Tips via Email Here is my step by step on how I take a digital photo and make it Lomoified.
Getting Started – Creating a Vignette The first thing you want to do is create the classic vignette that the Lomos are well known for and I achieve this by doing a freehand lasso of a circle around the photo. Sharpening and Saving. Bringing out the color. About two months ago, I wrote a piece on how to create a photo that is so spectacular, you can only say “WOW”. I couldn’t have anticipated how popular that article was going to become, so I have decided to expand on some of the ideas I covered back then. In many ways, the single goal of any photographer such as yourself is to create photos that make people say “WOW”.
These are just a few more tools you can use to get to your goal. Ultimately, taking more photos and getting loads of experience under your belt is what will help you the most. In the previous article, I discussed the importance of always searching for powerful and standout colors. Whenever you are trying to bring more color into a photo, you should always be thinking about finding the right kind of light. After all, photos are nothing but light reflecting off of things. Consider alternate light sources Also think about street lamps and other colored light sources. How to color enhance your photos . Realistic Landscape Photos Using Layering Have you ever gone out to a gorgeous landscape, perhaps a vast open field or an imposing mountain range, taken pictures you thought were going to be the best you’ve ever seen, and then found out later on that your photos look nothing like the landscape did when you were there?
If this sounds like a familiar story, you aren’t alone. In fact, most of us make the same mistake over and over again when we get into landscape photography. I know I did. If your landscape photos look a little flat and dull, it is most likely because you haven’t created a sense of scale or depth. Turn foreground elements into scale cues But it’s a little different with a camera.
It’s important to not be afraid of getting a little sand on your belly when taking landscape photos. Here is another example (also from the Oregon coast) to whet your appetite: You will notice that I didn’t use much of a foreground element, just a few bushes on the bottom of the photo. Always increase the depth of field Other scale cues.
Vivid Portraits With Catchlights. Until you’re told they’re important, you don’t even know they exist. Catchlights are the little white reflections in your eyes that will only appear in a photo if you are looking at a bright source of light. Ever since the Renaissance, portrait artists have been painting their subjects with catchlights as a way to create more drama. And it works! There’s something about that little extra bit of contrast a catchlight adds a to a portrait. It makes subjects come alive. Photographers weren’t the first ones to think of this Here’s the eye of the above image.Note the catchlight at 10 o’clock. The painters of the Renaissance often chose to place catchlights at the ten o’ clock and two o’ clock positions on the upper iris.
In order to get the same positions in a photograph, you need to place a light source somewhere above your subject’s eyes so the reflection appears in the upper portion. Some optional gear to make it easier Learn to see everything as a potential catchlight. Fast Moving Sports Without Blurring. You know what it’s like. You’ve lined up the perfect shot and pressed the shutter at the right moment only to find out later on that everything is blurred. This is one of the biggest frustrations for beginner, and even experienced, sports photographers.
It is the moment when people begin to question the camera setup they just purchased, often wondering if those hundreds and thousands of dollars could have been better spent elsewhere. There is no need for frustration. This is a classic example of what can happen in low lightThanks to Traci Scoggins for the image Ambient Light The most important factor in any action shot is ambient light. But there is a catch. There are a few ways to deal with low ambient light. Changing Aperture The aperture on your camera lens is the hole that light travels through before reaching the image sensor on the back. Depth of field is the range of elements in your photo that are in focus. I should also mention that not every lens has a good aperture range. Golden Sun. I only have one word for this shot. WOW! Of course, I am a sucker for a great sunset photo. The way the bright orange just bursts forth and diffuses itself through the clouds will always take my breath away.
We discussed how you can take pictures like this in a previous tutorial, but I would like to use this critique to discuss it in more detail. This photo was sent in by David Lambert. How to get the perfect golden sun So let’s start with the sun. Why won’t the automatic mode allow you to take a photo like this? Playing around with manual settings David got a fantastic golden orange color in this photo. The next step for David, and for you, is to ratchet down the shutter speed one notch to, say, 1/750 sec and see what colors it produces. Always start with the aperture Some people tell me they don’t know where to start with manual photography, and I always tell them to start with the aperture. Why would I choose any aperture between f8 and f11?
I want to thank David again for this shot.