4. You’re not looking at the background of a photo
How many of your photos have been ruined by a
distracting and plain-ugly background?
We’ve all done it: concentrated so much on framing
the subject and making
sure it’s tack-sharp and
perfectly exposed, that
the background becomes
largely ignored.
No portrait-sitter will
thank you if there’s a
tree or telegraph pole
sprouting from their
head, or the horizon
splits them neatly in two.
Landscapes lose their impact with a shiny red car
parked in the distance, and wildlife photos look woeful
when a distracting mash of twigs and branches takes
attention away from the animal.
Make the background the first thing you think about
and the last thing you check before pressing the
shutter release button and your photos will look more
professional.
5. You’re not keeping an eye on the shutter speed
Slow shutter speeds can lead to blurred photos,
either because the subject moved or because
you couldn’t hold the camera still during the time
it took to make an exposure.
The thing is, a slow shutter speed is an easy thing to
miss – after all, there’s so much to think about before
you press the shutter release.
If the camera’s shooting mode is set to Aperture Priority
then you’ll be focusing on setting the appropriate
aperture for the subject or scene you’re photographing
and letting the camera take care of the shutter speed.
To get around this, consider using your camera’s Auto
ISO setting.
This will automatically adjust the ISO setting to
ensure that the shutter speed is fast enough for sharp
handheld photos, whatever aperture you choose.
6. You’re not close enough
If your photos lack impact, the chances are that
the focal point of the picture is too small in the
frame.
Everything looks much bigger through the viewfinder
than it does when you review your photos on the
computer.
Obviously you can crop photos later to tighten up a
baggy composition, but doing this means that you
won’t be realizing the full potential of your camera’s
sensor.
Try and think about any ‘dead space’ before you take
the photo. Taking a few steps forward is often enough
to do the trick, and, unlike zooming a lens, brings you
closer to the subject of your photo.
This is an advantage when it comes to street
photography and photography that requires a reaction
from the subject, but perhaps less so when you’re
photographing African Big Game.
7. You’re not being subtle enough with flash
Used inappropriately, flash is notorious for
making photos look like snapshots.
The deer-in-the-headlights look caused by automatic
on-camera flash being used close to a subject in low
light is a classic: all bleached-out subject, red eyes
and featureless black background.
The trick here is to
balance the flash with the
available light by choosing
a higher ISO setting or
a slower shutter speed
– you’ll need to use the
camera on a tripod with
the latter to prevent the
un-flashed areas of the
picture being blurred.
Whenever possible, move
the flash away from the
camera with an off-shoe
camera cord, or wireless
flash sync, to control
where the shadows fall. If you can’t do that, try
pointing it towards a white ceiling or nearby wall for a
softer quality of lighting.
8. You’re not spending long enough processing
photos
Photos that aren’t processed, or processed
without care, can have that flat, straight-out-ofthe-camera snapshot look.
You don’t have to manipulate a picture to the point
where it bears no resemblance to reality.
A Levels adjustment, a tweak of Curves, a slight crop,
perhaps a shift in White Balance – this may be all that
it takes to lift your photo from snapshot to hotshot.
NM CliQ Magazine | December 2015
85