When you see a great photo, chances are that it wasn’t an accident. Yes you can get lucky and get the subject, the lighting, the tone, and the feel to match perfectly creating an outstanding picture, but chances are everything was planned to be this perfect. In other words, someone who knew what he or she was doing, took that picture.
Taking good pictures requires more than just chance, it requires and understanding of the many elements that going to good picture taking. Here’s an overview of what photographer like Charles Nucci does in order to take a great picture.
Photographing the Golden Gate Bridge
Let’s say Charles was interested in taking pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. The first thing he would do is do some background on his subject. His background would include the following information.
Since 1937 the Golden Gate Bridge has been a Marvel. Reflecting the art deco fashions of the time, the Golden Gate Bridge is 746 feet high and attracts more than 10 million visitors every year. People come to see this unique and majestic attraction, and to wonder about the building techniques that went into creating this one of a kind masterpiece. People learn more about the Golden Gate Bridge from a visitor center located at the San Francisco end of the bridge.
Knowing this information helps him 2 Focus on specific areas of the bridge. The fact that the bridge has Art Deco influences can help a photographer aim his shots. The height of the subject also plays a role in picture taking. So does the fact that it is a bridge. With this in mind here are a few ideas that Charles Nucci offers for taking pictures of this iconic San Francisco monument.
Bring several lenses
Because it is a bridge, there will be many parts of it that you just cannot get close to. Therefore having lenses that allow you to zoom in on certain areas is very helpful. You can experiment with different zooms to see what best delivers the photos you want. Sometimes extreme close-ups create one-of-a-kind images, perhaps there’s something higher up on the bridge that you think is very special in terms of telling its story. Having the right lens allows you to focus anywhere on the bridge and to give the photo you want.
Experiment with different filters
There have been millions of pictures taken of the Golden Gate Bridge. How do you as a photographer bring A New Perspective and stand out from all of the previous photographers. Perhaps and angle to pursue is using filters. Camera filters can create a different mood or feeling. They bring out certain aspects of a picture, while pushing others to the background. They interact with light to reveal things that the naked eye might not see. These days, there are some wonderful filters available online that you can experiment with to change the mood or feeling of your pictures. Take the time and go through dozens and you may discover something that you have never seen before, and that makes your pictures of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge unique.
Take lots of photos
Memory cards for cameras are very cheap these days. This allows you to take many photos during your trip. You should shoot continuously when you are at these attractions. Do not think that you have the perfect shot, only to find out later that it was either out of focus, the lighting wasn’t perfect, or you didn’t get your target placed properly and your shot. Instead take many pictures of the same attraction and choose later on which one you like and don’t like. It’s better to have it and not use it then to want it and not have it.
Study of subject, and even review other photos taken of the subject, to give you an idea on what others are seeing. When you start taking photos remember to take your time and expect that many of them will not be special. However the more you shoot, the better your eye will get, and the greater your pictures will be.
2018 ·