You’ll kindly note I don’t say good holiday pics. IANAP (I am not a photographer) so I can’t promise anything. But as I started learning how to take pictures as well as learning what sort of pictures I like to take, I developed a kind of process. This is my guide: enjoy!
#1 Just Take The Photo
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You see the shot, but you’ve just walked past. Someone has just come out of the house next door and is staring at you. A huge group of Korean tweens has started up a selfie group right next door. A creepy bloke has been following you down the street for the last two blocks.
Okay, apart from that last one (in which case I advise you to keep moving toward more people); just take the photo. You won’t come back this way again. I mean, you might, but you probably won’t. You’ll never get a second chance for that photo. Take it. Wait for the tweens. Ignore the person and his dog; they don’t care about you, they’re just starting ‘cos you look different. Walk back a little ways.
Just take the photo. Take it like you’ll never have another chance to take it, because you probably won’t.
#2 Take Your Time
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That dude watching you; the group of ajummahs about to pass between you and your shot; the chilly breeze; the vanishing light. Forget about it all for just five seconds. Take the shot like you’re using a film camera and only have one shot to get it right. (If you’re me, that’s how you’ll be doing it).
Take your time. Take a breath. Get the shot.
#3 That Photo Probably Isn’t As Good As You Think It Is
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It might be. But depending on how much practise you’ve had at turning an opportunity into an actual shot, you’re probably going to have to try an angle or two before you find the best one.
I’ve had a bit of success in taking the shot with my iPhone first, and seeing how the angle/shot composition works out. That works up to a certain point: photos on your iPhone and photos on a film camera are going to look different. But it helps you get a handle on what’s going to look nice, and you can practise composition/framing, etc along the way.
The other thing I do is just keep the camera to my eye and move a little before I take the shot. Try a different angle. Move to the left or right. Go down on one knee like I’m proposing. After a while, you start to get an idea for how it’s going to turn out, but I still advise taking a few moments to decide whether that shot is as good as it is in your mind–or how to make it that good.
That’s it for W.R.’s Holiday Photo Guide (yanno, until I actually learn more about what I’m doing). Happy March, and here’s looking forward to April, with more photos to come!
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