I caught the last few minutes of Oprah’s show yesterday when she was paying tribute to the children of the men and women who lost their lives during the 9/11 terror attacks. Show producers created a video montage of still photos the families had taken of their loved ones and set it to music. It was a touching tribute that caused many of the children to shed tears. (I’m sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the entire audience or in the homes of Oprah’s viewers either—-I know it made me choke up.)
To me, the picture montage spoke to the power of pictures. As I mentioned in a previous blog, photos are one of the only ways that we get to freeze time. To immortalize a moment we would love to live in forever. I’m sure the children of the 9/11 victims cherish the pictures of their missing moms and dads more than any possession on Earth.
At this point I doubt that those kids care if the picture was composed properly or if it is slightly blurry, as long as their parents are in it. That’s all that matters. However, looking at the Oprah photo montage further proved to me the benefits of taking frame-worthy shots.
With that said, here are a few more simple ways you can snap shots worth holding on to for years to come.
Learn How to Move
Yesterday I advised you to stand still in order to capture a winning shot. However, if you are trying to capture an action shot I have the opposite advice. While you might be tempted to set your shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second to capture action shots I have a better idea. Have your subject stand to your left about 5 feet away. Hold your camera steady and point it at your subject. Press down lightly on the shutter to lock in the focus then have your subject start running towards you. Press the shutter and hold it while you move slowly to follow him or her. The end shot should show your subject in motion yet still in focus and the background a bit blurred. Obviously, this works better if your camera has manual settings, then you can experiment with different shutter speeds.
Forget About the LCD
Ever since the advent of digital cameras and the introduction of LCDs I think people have gotten lazy with composition. With an LCD you are more apt to allow the extraneous objects in your peripheral vision to distract you. Here’s an experiment I recommend you try. The next 12 pictures you take use your viewfinder instead. (It’ll help conserve on battery life.) If your camera doesn’t have a viewfinder try using the “grid function” on your camera’s LCD. Then position your subject in one of the intersections and shoot away.
Take Advantage of Natural Lighting
Some of the most incredible shots I have of my daughter were taken at sunset. It also helps that she was standing on a picturesque beach in Hawaii, but I digress. If you have the opportunity to use Mother Nature to your advantage do so. The warm glow from a setting sun casts anyone in a great light… and the pictures prove it.
Related Articles:
Common Sense Tips To Capturing Frame-Worthy Pictures
Experimenting With Your New Camera
Cameras: Knowing When To Upgrade
Tips For Taking Pictures With Your Camera Phone
Digital Photography 101: The Pros and Cons of Ultracompact Cameras
Digital Photography 101: Ready, Set, Shoot
Digital Photography 101: Picking The Perfect Camera
Digital Photography 101: Getting To Know Your Camera