David Mills: Improving your images/photography for competitions. Sparta Camera Club April 25, 2018
Landscapes:
- Identify and use a strong foreground element to bring the eye into the picture.
- Use a leading line to draw the viewer into the scene.
- The various elements in the picture should not overlap if possible.
- Lighting should be warm—early or late in the day is best.
- Minimize the sky if it is clear or has little of interest in it.
- There should be no blown out or bright white areas in the picture.
- Landscape versus portrait. Verticals are usually stronger images.
- Look behind you when shooting. The scene might be behind you.
- Use sidelight (rising or setting sun/moonlight) to emphasis shadows/shapes.
- Assymetrical/rule of thirds rather than placing subject in the center.
Nature/animals/birds:
- Backgrounds should be clean rather than cluttered. Muted or blurred if possible.
- The head position of the bird should be angled toward the viewer.
- The eye should be sharp and there should be a catchlight in it.
- Leave room in front of the bird.
- Be careful of white birds not to blow out portions of the bird. Easier to shoot in low light.
- Birds standing in water—leave room for the rest of the leg and foot.
- There should be good detail in both the lights and the darks of the bird.
- Wing position should be up or down, not flat out.
- Tell a story if possible or just do a portrait of the bird.
Botany/Macro
- Warm lighting.
- Use fill flash on water lilies—even works to underexpose and use fill flash.
- Use maximum DOF.
- Show part of the stem on the flower so it is attached to something.
- Get into the flower.
- Offset flower from center.
General
- Picture should have impact—WOW factor.
- Edges should be clean. No distracting items to lead the eye off of the page.
- Keep the image simple.
