Success Pointers for Winning Photo

by

  Linda Muir

Since I registered as a member on POTY in July of 2003, I have advanced beyond my wildest dreams in the digital photo world. A lot of my first photos that I entered, never really got good ratings, to no ratings at all. But over time, I looked, listened, observed winning photos and practiced in all the areas in which I was lacking, and believe me there were lots. Below, I have listed some of the things I have learned here on this forum and I would like to pass some of them on to you, and hope you fine them useful. Always keep your horizons level (tripod is a handy accessory) as this can be very distracting in a landscape that has a tilted horizon. If this is the case after your photo has been uploaded and you have a software program such as PS, please take the time to correct this imbalance. The "third's" rule is one of the most important things to remember and is most often looked at in a photo.. It is always most desirable to position your subject off center by 1/3 or keep the horizon at 1/3, but there are a few occasions when this ruling does not need apply. Also, if your subject is more than one, keep them at odd numbers For example photo three flowers rather than 4 - as this make it more pleasant to view. Always be sure that your subject whatever it may be, is sharply focused and that you make good use of DOF (depth of field) so that your subject stands out against any distracting backgrounds, plus this will insure that your subject is THE main subject in your photo. A sharp and clearly focused subject/object shown against a blurred/black or colored background is usually more attractive and appealing than a photo where everything is in complete focus, which can cause distractions. The Keep it Simple rule (KIS)! is extremely important because you do not want to have a busy look to your photo, which can assure a lot of distractions, which are not favorable. If you have to simplify your photo work within a photo manipulation program, cropping, blurring backgrounds, cut and paste are a few things you can do to simplify and change your photos to something more pleasing to look at without any distractions. Correct exposure is a must for your photo to be considered good. This means that you must make sure that your photo is not too dark (underexposed) or too light (overexposed). This is something that can either be changed when using your camera features or something that can be corrected in a photo software. Be sure to keep a high level of contrast without losing the details in the dark and light areas of your photo. This takes time and patience in the learning of achieving the right contrast for your photo. Be aware of hot spots/burnouts and lens flare. These are things that can really that can also make a difference in a winning photo or not a winning photo. Color saturation is another important step. Be sure there is enough saturation but not so much that your photo looks unnatural or unappealing. You definitely do not want your photo too bright so as to loose details. (This is the part where I have fun and so can you). This is where you the photographer can display your special talents. You can become very creative and show off your photos "out of the box" so to speak. If you have a photo manipulations program to work with and really know how to work with it, the sky's the limit in your ability to create something new and different. There are so many options in the creativity of a digitally enhanced photo, but we also have to remember, this kind of photo is not always accepted by all, as sometimes this can go beyond the KIS and 1/3rd's rule. Experiment with different subjects. I used to do mainly flower macros, but have since expanded to the world of insects and wildlife. This type of photo subject experimenting has opened up a whole new experience for me and was worth it. I like macro photography because it can reveal different aspects in the world of nature that nobody can usually see with the naked eye. Macro photography to me is like using a magnifying glass - gets you close up and personal with nature. Whenever possible, please use a tripod as it can make all the difference in a good sharp photo. The most important things I can suggest, is to practice, observe, pay attention to constructive criticism, read your camera's manual and read anything else you can get a hold of ! Photography is a practiced skill! If you wish to improve, and strive for that winning photo, you have to make the time and the effort.