Me too! (need help to improve my pictures)

[Geoff F]

Processing, Terry, can appear rather intimidating at first and there isn't a lot of easy to understand information supplied with cameras. The same can also apply to some software which tends to start off any advice at the intermediate level. We all went through a similar learning process; although there is a lot more advice available now compared with only 10 years or so ago.

I would recommend reading all the Tutorials here at CinC and keep reading them over again until you begin to understand the basic principles; then when things start to make sense you could try this site, but it does assume you have already achieved a basic level in understanding digital photography and editing.

http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

[tezclarke]

Hi mike & Friends,

I took the mushroom whilst out for a walk one afternoon. It was a hand held job as I thought the colours were bright and there were many of them in the image. It has been suggested that the image should be cropped on the right, the leaf, which I placed there, is a bit dull and should be highlighted. I am open to all suggestions to help me know what to look out for in the future. Most of the suggestions can be done on the computer later. I thought the shot not too bad. Perhaps a different angle might help in this type of shot. I am open to advice on taking such an image.

[tezclarke]

Geoff,

You are right and I am reading 'and making notes form the excellent tutorials on this site. I am afraid that I use the 'quick fixes on Elements 12 which tends to alter some of my images. What I want to learn I suppose is 'technique'. When I look at some of the images here I am embarrassed to put any of mine up they all look so sharp and the lighting is amazing. I shall just have to keep at it and learn from what I see here. Sadly , there are no eagles, or much wild life in the West Midlands. But I am in the National Trust and hope to amaze you chaps with some fine images of great architecture later on.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Terry,

Obviously, it is essential that the image is technically 'good', e.g. correctly exposed and focused, but let's think about the artistic choices we can make.

I believe that the secret of many 'successful' images are that we (the viewer) immediately know what the subject is and that everything else in the composition contributes to 'highlighting' the subject, by 'highlighting', I mean bringing it (and only it) to the viewer's attention.

Conversely; anything that does not contribute to the promotion of the subject should be eliminated or diminished somehow.

There are various means by which photographers can perform these 'tricks', for example, we can promote the subject in these ways;
a) Decide what the subject is!
b) Shoot it from the best angle and with good perspective (shooting distance/focal length choice)
c) Ensure it is well lit
d) Ensure it is in focus
e) Ensure it is well placed in the frame (e.g. Rule of Thirds)
f) Use other elements in the frame to 'point' (or direct the eye) to the subject (e.g. Leading Lines)

... and we can diminish non-enhancing aspects by;
1) Removing it/them from the scene before taking the picture, either by physically removing something or framing the subject so they are not visible
2) Do not allow them to be as well lit as the subject (add light; e.g fill flash on subject, or shade the unwanted things)
3) Do not allow them to be as sharp as the subject (effective use of Depth of Field)
4) Do not allow them to be as well placed (in the frame) as the subject
5) Do not try to have too many subjects
6) Do not have bright or bold coloured things near the edge of frame

Are there exceptions to the above?
Absolutely, but until we have mastered controlling the subject and composition following the above 'rules', we are unlikely, except by occasional accident, be successful in knowing when we can break the rules and still succeed.

Now, we should try to do as much of the above before we press the shutter button, but it may often be impossible to achieve everything we'd want in the real world, so then post processing allows us a second chance to use the techniques below, many previously used in film days (as others have related above), to achieve what we couldn't when capturing the subject/scene.

For example;
i) Cropping
ii) Dodging, Burning and Desaturation
iii) Selective sharpening or blurring
iv) Perspective correction
v) Cloning

Now - your homework:
Find another mushroom or flower and shoot it applying as many of the ideas I have suggested from the first two lists only; we won't tackle post processing yet.

Good luck, Dave