Is it a beautiful photograph, or a photograph of something beautiful?

Is it a beautiful photograph, or a photograph of something beautiful? Without considerable experience, it is easy to be seduced by glorious subject matter.

Case in point. In front of us, we have “X”. (fill in “X” with something you adore; a dog, a cat, an exotic sports car, food, a gothic cathedral)

“X” is magnificent in every way. We take out the camera and shoot two frames. Looking at the images, we luxuriate in the beauty of “X” and move on, oblivious to our lack of engagement with the real opportunity in front of us.

We have been duped by the glamour of the subject matter and have taken a snapshot rather than an image crafted with intent.

Had we actively engaged in the process the images we leave with would have to be way stronger.

When presented with the opportunity to shoot a beautiful subject, don’t put a limit on how many images you take but extend your imagination into what may be possible. If we shot 5 images we can expect to have captured an “OK” image but from 100 images we should get a few really good images and a couple of great images.

This is a confronting exercise for a lot of people. 100 shots is too many! This could be a hangover from the limitations of film. 100 shots equates to 100 variations and might only take 10 to15 minutes. The more attention and time we put into each opportunity the better our photographs!

These are some of the variables to extend the potential of what we capture: camera angle/height/orientation direction/quality of light/the proximity of the subject to the camera/context within surroundings/depth fo field/point of focus/exposure time/time of day and virtually infinite options for composition.

To best capitalise on an opportunity, we must first be aware that potential exists.