Recently I got into a somewhat heated discussion at a Camera club meeting and immediately wished I hadn’t. It was the same old fight. Yet again it was the subject of Photographic purity, the alleged softness of zoom lenses and the argument that you can’t use filters because ‘that would be changing reality’. These “sacred cows” of the photographic gerontocracy need to be slaughtered - once and for all.

Surf photography always seems to be the preserve of professional photographers shooting pro surfers doing the pro circuit for nice glossy surf magazines.

A good subject in itself does not mean a good photo. Composition, lighting and color make important differences to the final image. But there’s another aspect of your image that’s just as significant as the subject - the background. Often photographers are so excited and so intent on taking the pictures that they forget about everything else in the frame. We’ve all been guilty of that.

Photography is all about framing. We see a subject - and we put a frame around it. Essentially, that is photography when all is said and done.

Creativity is at the heart of photography.

Most people who have a camera and enjoy taking pictures long to produce imaginative images, even if they are only family snaps or holiday photos. Interestingly, it is rarely the camera that is the preventative. Let’s look at some consumer cameras and combine them with the techniques that will allow you to photograph some great pictures…

Any camera can take a well composed picture, so let’s start here. Some basic composition tips are;

Posing people in your pictures can sometimes be a nightmare. The simple act of pointing your camera at a person can often make them feel uncomfortable. Here are some simple things you can do to make the process easier.

 By keeping it simple, we actually make a greater statement. Shelton Muller explains the art of reduction….

Shelton Muller discusses the need for every photographer to know their lines…

Shelton Muller continues his discussion on Perspective and Viewpoint…

In addition to using these perspective techniques discussed in Part 1, viewpoint is essential in creating more dynamic images because it can be used to provide the viewer with a different view on the world. Unless we change the elevation and position of our camera, we can find ourselves continuously capturing our world from the same mundane point of view.

We are all accustomed to seeing the world from a standard height, so it goes without saying that the fastest way to add interest to your images is to alter your point of view. By elevating or lowering your camera’s viewpoint or changing your position in relation to the subject in a manner not normally seen, you have already given the image a new element of interest.

Generally speaking, lowered viewpoints exaggerate perspective and elevated ones reduce it. In all of this, remember that choice of lens is yet another variable to add to your formula. Wide angle lenses will add depth by expanding the perspective, whereas telephoto lenses reduce depth by compressing it.

The Formula

So, how do you decide upon the formula? Often it is simply a matter of logic as many photographic situations dictate certain methods of operation. For instance, photographing children from an elevated height will often demean them. Pointing your camera upwards at a tall building will instantly transform it into the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or simply an architectural nightmare. By all means do these things deliberately, but make them obvious if you do.

One way to establish the most appealing combination of viewpoint and lens is to move around the scene with your camera in hand, elevating and lowering your viewpoint until you get an idea of the position you prefer. From there, lock your camera on the tripod and perhaps refine your composition, alter your focal length or change lenses altogether.

Use combinations of perspective and viewpoint techniques along with the optical dynamics of your lenses to achieve images that transcend our normal view of the world and thus instantly transform your photographs from average to interesting.

Shelton Muller can be contacted at shelton@total-image.com.au