5 Photography Tips for Viewers to Connect With Your Photos

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One of the best photography tips I can share is to think less about the technical aspects and more about the impact your photo has on the people who view it. While it’s important to understand the elements of exposure, those techniques won’t guarantee an emotional connection with your subject. Here are five ways to help you capture the moment that connects with your viewers.

1. Patience

What makes a photograph art instead of a snapshot? Patience! Just because you want a photograph right now doesn’t mean the subject is ready for your right now. You may have to wait for a sunrise or sunset. You may have to wait for a bird to land on a post in the water. You may have to wait for the perfect wave to crash. Maybe—just maybe—you have to wait for all of these elements to coincide to get a shot that no other photographer will get because they weren’t patient enough to let things happen. Maybe they weren’t patient enough to see what happened next. The world will unfold on its own schedule, so pick a good spot, be patient, and be ready to capture the moment.

2. Timing

Some photographers enjoy shooting rapid-fire to get an action shot—spray and pray—and hope they have something good when the action is over. That isn’t control, though. It’s trusting your fate to luck.

It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting wildlife, sports, or a model in a studio. There’s a concept known as the peak of action, and that’s the shot you want to capture. You may get it with spray and pray, or you may not. Rather than firing off a blast of shots, think about your subject. Put yourself in the subject’s position. Look for patterns, rhythms, or any clues that will help you predict when and where your subject will be at the optimum moment to capture the peak of action.

A big part of timing is knowing your subject. You need to know the optimum time for that subject to arrive in just the right place.

3. Intimacy

Your photos need to show a connection. Sometimes that means creating a connection between the subject and the view. In other cases, it means showing a connection with your subject and something important. That connection could be between people, such as a husband and wife or a mother and child. The connection could also be with a pet or a possession.

Imagine a body builder working with weights. You see that she’s strong. She’s intent. She’s focused. The story is about her, but the weights show a relationship that helps define her as the subject. She has a relationship with the weights she’s lifting. She needs them in order to be the woman she wants to be. Intimacy helps the viewer understand her story.

4. Light

Photographers know that light is both your enemy and your friend. Without it, there’s no photo. If you have too much light, there’s still no photo. That’s because an evenly lit photo is little more than a dull snapshot. Nothing stands out. Nothing is special because you see everything. There’s no mystery.

Shadows are crucial because they provide a sense of depth and dimension. Their sense of darkness give shape, form and a sense of importance to the part of the photo in the light.

There’s an old adage, “If you want to make something more interesting, don’t light all of it.”

5. Story

If you want to improve your photos, then they need to tell a story. A photo needs to say something to the viewer. It needs to draw them in and make them wonder. It needs to pique their interest. People look at images that are interesting. What makes them interesting? The photo communicates something to them.

Does your photo make you wonder about something in it?

Why is the girl in the water? Where is this relaxing scene? What is the surfer thinking before he enters the water? I wish I had her dedication. Why does this dangerous beast look so content?

There are stories for any emotion. If you can feel an emotion, then there’s a story to go with it. That’s what you need to capture and share with your viewers.

6 Tips for Controlling Depth of Field

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Depth of field (DOF) is one of the most important factors in determining the look and feel of a photograph. It’s also the most overlooked for photographers moving from a point-and-shoot camera to a DSLR camera. With a DSLR, you have a huge amount of control over depth of field, and you should know how to utilize that control.

What is Depth of Field?

Depth of field refers to the distance (depth) from the focus point that a photo will be sharp, while the rest becomes blurry. A large, or wide, depth of field results in much of the photo in focus.

A small, or narrow, depth of field results in much more of the photo out of focus.

Neither approach is better or right, and which depth of field to use is up to you. You may have different reasons for choosing a certain depth of field, including artistic effect, bringing attention to a subject, or crisp representation of a scene.

There are four main factors that control depth of field: lens aperture, lens focal length, subject distance, and sensor size. Your sensor is pretty well set, so you won’t have much luck changing that. Your focal length and distance to the subject are usually determined by your choice of composition. So the lens aperture is your primary control over depth of field.

Before I get to the tips, let’s get a few things straight:

BIG APERTURE = SMALL F-NUMBER = SMALL DEPTH OF FIELD
SMALL APERTURE = BIG F-NUMBER = BIG DEPTH OF FIELD

Aperture Control

Large apertures (small f-numbers) cause a narrow DOF, while small apertures (large f-numbers) cause a wide DOF. To bring attention to a subject by blurring a background (selective focus), shoot with f-numbers like f/2.8, f/4, or f/5.6. To bring the whole scene into focus, shoot with f-numbers like f/16 or f/22.

Avoid Excess DOF

If you want to bring an entire scene into focus and keep it sharp, use a small aperture. But be careful not to go too small. Lens sharpness starts to deteriorate at the smallest apertures. Use enough to get what you want, and no more. You may have to experiment a bit to get a feel for how your camera and lenses work at different apertures.

Focus Point

The DOF extends behind and in front of the point of focus. It usually extends further behind than in front, though. So keep this in mind when choosing your focus point; you’ll want to focus about a third of the way into the scene rather than halfway.

Use a Tripod

As you stop down the lens for greater depth of field, you’re also letting less light into the camera. To compensate for this and maintain correct exposure, you’ll need to either use longer shutter speeds or a higher ISO. The ISO can only be increased so much before noise artifacts become an issue, so you’ll most likely want to lengthen your shutter speed. If your shutter speed is too long, you’ll need a tripod (or some type of stabilization) to deal with this.

DOF Preview

When looking through the viewfinder of a DSLR camera, you’re seeing the world through the lens. You can easily see your resulting composition and point of focus, but the depth of field you’re witnessing is a little false. You’re seeing the resulting depth of field for the largest aperture of the lens, no matter what f-number you’ve chosen. Most newer cameras have a feature called DOF Preview that allows you to stop the lens down to the chosen aperture so you can see the true depth of field.

Focal Length

As I mentioned, your focal length is usually determined by your choice of composition, but you should know how it affects your depth of field. Longer focal lengths (200mm) have less depth of field than shorter focal lengths (35mm). Just keep this in mind when you’re trying to achieve a certain depth of field—you may need to alter your focal length in addition to your aperture.

So there are your basic tips for controlling your depth of field when taking photographs. The best way to learn how to control DOF is to set your camera to aperture priority mode and go take some pictures. Photograph the same subject many different times while altering the aperture, point of focus, and focal length (if you have multiple lenses or a zoom lens). Either write down the settings you used for each picture or use software to view your camera’s settings while you look through the pictures on your computer. You’ll begin to see how these different factors affect your photos.

Street Photography Tips at Night- upgrade your photos.

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Taking pictures at night gives an image a completely different feel because it captures different stories of daily life—sometimes more dramatic than the ones captured during the day. There is also a whole new cast of characters at night that make taking pictures on the streets after dark an even more adventurous experience in street photography.

Just by decreasing the available light, we increase the element of mystery in the image. Don’t get me wrong, it could still be an average image. Just because it was taken at night the picture won’t magically become a great photograph, but it might become a little bit more interesting. It may make the viewer ask just a few more questions. And depending on where you are, it may even add an element of danger.

“You don’t have to go looking for pictures. The material is generous. You go out and the pictures are staring at you.” –Lee Friedlander

Here are a few tips for taking street photos at night:

1. Don’t use flash

I think this is key for several reasons. First, the ugly artificial light that results from the flash is just too harsh and unnatural. It also calls way too much attention to the photographer, and the idea in street photography is to blend in, not stand out like a lighthouse. Also, people expect the flash to go off after you take a picture at night; when they don’t see the bright light coming from the camera that was pointed at them, they think that you didn’t take a photo and they probably won’t question you. I never use flash when I shoot at night (or day or ever, for that matter). It might take some practice but in a short time you won’t miss it.

2. Increase the ISO

More than a suggestion, this is a necessity. Unless you increase the ISO, the shutter speed might become too slow and the whole picture will be way too blurry to even see what’s going on. As I wrote before, a little bit of motion blur is fantastic and makes for great street photography shots. But if the photo’s too blurry it loses the effect and is just confusing.

High ISO will also give the image some “noise” and it will look grainy, which is a great look for street photography. Make grain and blur your friends, not your enemies.

“New images surround us everywhere. They are invisible only because of sterile routine convention and fear.” –Lisette Model

3. Use available light to your advantage

Find a bright corner or a storefront window and position yourself in a way that it will light your subject’s face. Or maybe you want the light to their backs to make them silhouettes. Either way is fine, the choice is yours. It’s all a matter of moving around the light. Find what works and wait for an interesting subject to walk by. Try pointing the camera into the inside of storefronts or brightly lit buses; the light may be just enough to capture great scenes of people unaware that you are capturing the scene.

4. Use fast lenses

Fast lenses, with maximum apertures such as f/2.8 or f/1.4 are great for low light situations. The same thing applies to full frame cameras. Any lens or camera is fine but full frame cameras or fast lenses make things easier because they have a better sensitivity to light. Use what you have and practice and look at the results before you invest your paycheck in a more expensive camera or lens.

“Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual” –Edward Weston

5. Avoid isolated areas

It’s not necessary to go to a dangerous area to get interesting pictures. Any crowded area will do, especially if you are just starting.

Taking pictures on the streets at night is not the usual thing to do, but if you want to give your street photography a little extra excitement consider going out for a walk after the sunlight has been replaced by street lamps.

Do you follow the Process of Taking a Photo?

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We divide the process into 4 steps: Camera Settings, Observation, Anticipation, and Experience.

Camera Settings

One of the best ways to be efficient in travel and street photography is to be fast; especially in Southeast Asia, where things are so busy. Mastering camera settings is the first step to becoming fast. This is the reason I advise my students to use aperture priority mode when shooting (at least during the day) and to always adjust their settings when entering a new light situation (a brighter or darker area).

Once this is done, it becomes something less to worry about when a photo opportunity presents itself. The photographer’s reaction will also be faster if they can find all buttons and functions instinctively, as the camera becomes an extension of the body. Knowing what aperture to use depending on the depth of field desired and the distance of the subject, finding the ISO button while looking through the viewfinder, etc. All these little things will help the photographer win seconds, which are vital and will make light work of a spontaneous shot.

The need to be very fast and know camera settings was essential to capture this ephemeral moment. (Photo by Etienne Bossot)

Observation

Every good travel or street photographer (not to mention photojournalist) is a great observer.

Being aware of their surroundings, the photographer will use a shorter time to make important decisions, such as how to use the natural light, or which foreground and background to use. This is necessary, mostly when composing an image involves the subject itself at the very end.

Observing and seeing this girl running down allowed me to pick up the proper background. (Photo by Etienne Bossot)

Anticipation

Once you’ve got camera settings and observation skills primed, anticipation is the next skill to master. Moving ahead in preparation of the photo concept, anticipating where a potential subject is going to be and where the light is going to move is key to shooting a great photo. This requires being physically fit enough to be able to move quickly, sometimes over holes, puddles, trees, walls, rivers, highways, magma, etc.

Being comfortable with camera settings will help win seconds, which are vital for the photographer. I often find that my students are missing great photo opportunities because they feel rushed. Mostly when traveling to exotic locations where everything is new, beautiful, and photogenic, they are often overwhelmed by all the great potential photos to be shot and rush to shoot as many things as possible. What happens then? The brain stops working. The result is a lack of discipline in creating composition, and as is very often the case, the use of the wrong camera settings (leading to a slow shutter speed and blurry photos).

Once the camera settings are prepared, the environment understood, and the photograph concept set up in the mind, it frees you up to think of the details and techniques that will make a great composition.

Man in a field that has just been plowed. When seeing that man from far away, I ran in order to have him right in front of the lush green background. (Photo by Etienne Bossot)

Experience

We tend to compose images using a few of the photography techniques we have learned, but mostly it’s an unconscious act of applying what we know that makes a good photo. For this we are using, as Michael Freeman mentions in his book, a “repertoire” of photos we have previously seen or taken and that we know work for us.

Using lines as diagonals, applying the rule of thirds, having our subject framed a certain way, etc. This is very important in order to be fast and make decisions; it also increases the risk of taking the same photo “template” over and over again.

Thus the need of extra time, gained by preparation, observation, anticipation and applying our experience, to adjust the composition and create something new, special, different, and reach another level of creativity.

Everything was ready and patiently prepared. Then the subject arrived… Click.

When a picture is no longer worth a thousand words- World is changing

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Alan Kurdi’s tragic photograph did have a significant impact when it was widely circulated in 2015. It served as a poignant symbol of the refugee crisis stemming from the Syrian civil war and generated a wave of public empathy and outcry. The image of a lifeless child washed ashore on a beach was a powerful and heart-wrenching reminder of the human cost of conflicts and the desperation of refugees. It spurred discussions, awareness, and calls for action regarding the refugee crisis and the need for more humane immigration policies.

However, your point about the saturation of images and information in the media is valid. In a world where we are bombarded with images and news from various sources on a daily basis, it can be challenging for any single image to maintain a lasting impact. People may become desensitized to the constant stream of tragedies, and their attention may shift quickly to other news or events, including those that are more lighthearted or frivolous in nature.

Nonetheless, photographs can still be powerful tools for raising awareness and influencing public opinion. While the initial impact of an image may fade over time, it can still contribute to a broader understanding of ongoing issues and inspire discussions and actions. Activists, journalists, and organizations often use visual storytelling to keep important issues in the public eye and push for change.

In the cases of Syria, Ukraine, Gaza, and other conflict zones, the challenge is to sustain attention and action on the issues and individuals affected. It requires a combination of compelling visuals, consistent reporting, and advocacy efforts to maintain public awareness and support for those in need.

The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” is often used to suggest that a single image can convey complex ideas and emotions more effectively than a lengthy description. However, there are situations where a picture may no longer be worth a thousand words or may even be misleading or insufficient in conveying information. Here are a few scenarios where this might occur:

  1. Misleading or manipulated images: In the age of digital manipulation, images can be altered to convey false information or create misleading impressions. In such cases, a picture may not accurately represent the reality it claims to depict.
  2. Lack of context: A picture may not provide sufficient context to understand the full story. Without accompanying information or background, it may be open to misinterpretation.
  3. Complexity of the subject: Some topics or issues are highly complex and cannot be adequately conveyed through a single image. In these cases, words or explanations are necessary to provide a comprehensive understanding.
  4. Evolving situations: In rapidly changing or dynamic situations, a static image may quickly become outdated or fail to capture the ongoing developments.
  5. Abstract or conceptual ideas: Concepts or abstract thoughts may not easily translate into visual representations. Words are often better suited to explain these ideas.
  6. Personal interpretations: Different people may interpret an image in various ways, leading to a lack of consensus or understanding. Words can help clarify and provide a shared understanding.
  7. Emotional depth: While an image can evoke emotions, it may not always express the depth and nuances of human feelings as effectively as words can. Personal experiences and perspectives also play a significant role in emotional interpretation.

In these situations, a picture may not be worth a thousand words, and written or spoken language may be required to provide a more accurate, complete, or nuanced understanding of a subject. Words can provide the necessary context, clarification, and explanation that an image alone might lack.