Ten keys to a Beautiful Photo
““When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.” ”
I think there are 9 elements that separate a good photo from a beautiful one. I think a good photo might have all 9 elements but like in cooking if the ingredients aren’t put in correctly then it doesn’t come out just right. The same goes for photos and some of these are optional. Knowing these key elements and knowing when and when not to break them are also important.
Emotion
Ideal the photo will contain emotion and give it. At times it might not contain emotion but it will make you feel things and vis versa. Emotion is a key because a way express and share them is important and is a way to connect with others which is a beautiful thing.
Story
I think having a story in your photo makes it more interesting. When I wanted to start getting more intentional in taking my photos, I would ask what is the story I want to tell with this photo. It applied mostly to my landscapes because I found they were lacking and it helped me find stories. Story is key because it visual shares what is happening visual that might be difficult otherwise.
Simple
I find that less is usually more in photos. When too much is going on in a photo can be sensory overload. It also goes back to the storytelling and if you have to much going on its can be harder to tell what the story and who it is about. Simple is key because helps with telling the viewer what is going on.
Patterns
These don’t have to take over the photo, having a subtle or small pattern can make it interesting. I don’t find that patterns are a must have in my photos but it can be fun when I need to switch it up or get out of a rut. Patterns are key because it can help keep a photo simple but also give it spice.
Textures
I love it when a photo has texture. When you look at a tree in a photo and can see the detail on the bark and make you think that if you touch the photo you would be able to feel the tree. I think being able to see the texture give an element of being there without being there. Texture is key because it transports you into the photo.
Contrast
Having a contrast of colors or light versus shadows can make a photo hard to turn a way from. It can also add to the story you're trying to tell. Having your subject in the light and making it look like something is hiding in the shadows can tell a story. There are so many different ways to have contrast. Contrast is key because it can change a meaning of a photograph and have it be different in each viewing.
Composition
There are about 14 different things that go into composition and I’m planning on doing a post going in to more details about all 14 of them later this week. They are rule of thirds, depth, natural framing, background, viewpoint, leading lines, negative space, minimalism, filling the frame, patterns, implied motion, rule of odds, golden ratio, and symmetry. These are the basic “rules” of photography. Once you learn how to play within these rules you can start learning how to “break” them. Composition is key because not know what goes into a good photo it will be hard to make a beautiful one.
Attention to detail
Details can be a nice touch that can make a good photograph into a beautiful one that will stick with people. Details can help people want to keep looking at your work. If you get known for having lots of details in your photos people will start looking for them. A small added detail to a photo can change it in a way that will make it unforgettable. Attention to detail is a key because noticing what is and isn’t in your photo can completely change it.
Light
It might the biggest key of all because no light means no photo. Even if you have light but its either not captured properly or a shade that makes the subject look bad it doesn’t help you photo. Using how to use the light you have to make a beautiful phot is still something that I’m trying to master. Light is key because it can make or break a photo.
