How I notice things in photography. Here are 8 things to look out for.
Being a good photographer doesn’t mean having the fanciest camera or the best lenses. Any good photographer knows that the secret to being a good photographer is your ability to notice things.
In the age of digital photography, we get obsessed with the number of megapixels or how fast autofocus is on cameras that we forget that none of that matters if you don’t know how to take a good photo. I’ve learned through taking thousands of photos over the years that taking an interesting photo is more about storytelling and how creative you are over what kind of camera you have. Yeah, camera settings and lenses are important for being able to take photos in the way you want but some of the greatest photos of all time were shot on some of the most basic of setups.
Think about any old camera or phone you come across today. It may be hard to imagine but at one point “old tech” was the best technology of its time and back then it was creating some amazing things. Society is always after the latest and greatest version of tech but we often forget that the best tool you have for photography is your eye for noticing true random little things in life.
The art of noticing things comes from a love of observation. Taking in the world through the 5 senses is the first step to taking better photos. My advice for anyone interested in taking up photography is just to practice with the phone in your pocket first to simply notice things. Notice the light, notice how people look on the street, notice everything. Notice the things that other people won’t. Here is a list of 8 things (with photos) to notice when you’re out MAKING photos.
1. Notice a scene. A scene can be anything. Your kitchen, the sidewalk, the corner, your living room - anything. What makes a scene stand out to you? Is it sunny? Are there people in the scene that stand out to you or outfits that draw your attention? For me, I love this bakery, Red Ribbon in Woodside and I love passing by it everyday. I also love people watching and I noticed this woman walking slowly she lined up perfectly in the middle of a busy street in front of Red Ribbon that lead to a very pleasing symmetrical photo.
2. Leading Lines. Leading lines in a photo can help frame your subject and bring attention to the subject from the viewers perspective. In this photo my model is directly in the middle of the trees in the back ground and the lines of the trees draw you straight to her in the middle making that much more interesting of a photo.
3. Notice the action! Is there something interesting happening that catches your eye? You can’t catch the action by staring at your phone. Look up and pay attention to the world around you so don’t miss a moment. I was in Times Square that is already a very busy place but I noticed these street performers going off. With my camera settings set just right for fast scenes all I had to do was enjoy the moment and flick away.
4. Notice the light. Here is one of my favorite photos I took out in the subway of New York where a lone man sitting looking at this phone caught my eye and the lighting of the light shining through the background was just perfectly beautiful. This was almost too easy to notice. But if I wasn’t use to looking for interesting light then I might have just look past the moment entirely. I also love the balance of the light and shadows in the scene. The darkness of the subway underground meets the light of the world outside.
5. Be patient. When you’re out noticing things to take photos of it’s good to learn patience. The light in SoHo this one morning was slowly creeping in and I shoot on this sidewalk for maybe 10 mins (which is a long time to be standing anywhere in New York City) and suddenly the light hits this corner beautifully and this woman walks by at the perfect moment. Boom, awesome photo created.
6. Objects can have feelings too. Notice the everyday mundane ordinary things on the street. This may seem like just a boring bench and table but I loved the way the shadows were being casted on the street on a bright sunny day in SoHo. This scene was just itching for two people to sit down in and start a conversation. Oh, if only these benches could talk right? I wonder what stories they would have.
7. Notice reflections. Mirrors or other reflections can be fun ways of photographing something out of the ordinary. Don’t be afraid to use reflections you might see in puddles. Reflections from mirrors or windows can add an interesting layer to your photos.
8. Notice framing. In this photo I used the subway window to frame my subject in. This woman was just waiting on the platform but I waited until the door closed to I could frame her perfectly in the window to make it a bit more interesting and add a bit of focus to her.
