Setting the scene |
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 Hints and tips by Philip Grosset If you'd like to submit photos for criticism, click here. |
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| Look at the photo (on the left) of Hidcote Manor Garden in Gloucestershire. Is it meant to be a picture of the house or of the flowers and hedge? You can't tell because an equal amount of space is devoted to both. The result is confusing. |
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| On the right, the photographer has drawn attention to the part he really wants to show us (the house, but with some flowers included to provide foreground interest). It may sound obvious, but it's surprising how many photos don't have a real centre of interest. So select the part of a scene that really interests you, then try to compose the picture so that we immediately see it. It's a pity, though, that the hedge still partly blocks the view. |
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| The old bridge at St Ives in Cambridgeshire. When taking scenic shots, it's particularly important to spend time walking around to find the best possible view. The clouds here fill in what would otherwise have been a very empty area - and the picture has been composed so that there are no discordant colours or warning signs to spoil the effect. |
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| In places like Venice, there's not much point in just taking the obvious views, as you'd be better off buying a picture postcard that was probably taken in ideal conditions. The challenge is to search out less obvious pictures, like this one, taken near the Rialto Bridge. |
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| The Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh. Notice how much this picture is improved by the inclusion of the large daffodils in the immediate foreground. Distant shots can often be brought to life by the use of strong foreground interest. Photo by Tim Grosset. |
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| East Anglian riverside. Light and colour are most significant elements in any photograph. To catch picturesque scenes like this, you need to carry a camera about with you so as to catch the right moment. It's no good returning the next day, and hoping it will look just the same! |
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| Another example of needing to catch your subject at just the right moment. When your camera doesn't allow you to control your shutter speed, side views of moving objects (like the girl on the left) may not come out sharp. The solution is to catch her at the end of her swing when she is hardly moving, as on the right. This technique can be useful for sports photography too. Alternatively, you could try panning the camera with her so that she comes out sharp against a blurred background (but this needs a lot of practice) or alter the camera angle so that she is moving directly (or even diagonally) towards you. With most digital cameras, there is usually a delay of a second or two between when you press the camera button and when the picture is actually taken, so you'll have to practise allowing for this! The simplest way around the problem is to use the hold focus control (semi depress the camera release button) so that you can prefocus on your subject area. |
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NEXT PAGE PICKING THE BEST VIEWPOINT |
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