Question Home

Position:Home>Visual Arts> How do you take pictures and make them have that professional photographer's


Question: How do you take pictures and make them have that professional photographer's look, what I mean is!.!.!.!.!?
!.!.!.!. Some pictures just look like!.!.!.!. everyday pictures, y'know, holiday pictures and others have that nice look, like they'll fit into a magazine!. How do you attain that look/feel!? I have a Fujifilm S5800 or S800, (not a bad/great camera) I'm heading to Florida in a week and I'd like to come back with some cool shots!. Please enlight me oh ye wise ones!. CheersWww@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Magazine photographers have at least some advanced classes in photography, have either worked with another pro as an assistant or as a staffer to gather many years of experience and have a camera system based upon either a 35 mm SLR or DSLR system!.

To consistently produce images such as you describe, you will need at least some education in photography and some experience completing "magazine" quality images using what camera you do own!.

That said, pay attention to two things!.

1) your composition
2) the lighting you use when shooting you subjects !.!.!. including keeping your camera steady when shooting in available light!.

You may want to do some research and find the kind of "vacation/travel" shots you think are cool and try emulating them !.!.!. you can start practicing now, so you have your skills honed when you do get to Florida!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hello --

I would give you four pieces of advice !.!.!.

1!. Take a lot of pictures !.!.!. the more you take the better chance you have of getting a really good shot!. Professionals take hundreds of shots for every one that is good!.

2!. Learn a little about editing programs !.!.!. just the basic things like cropping can make a huge difference in how your photograph looks!. Most of the really fine photographs now are photoshoped to that perfection!.

3!. Keep the camera with you constantly, learn to use it effectively!. Seeing a really good shot and not having a camera defines the amateur!. Many of the best photos are a matter of being in the right place at the right time !.!.!. sometimes it is just a matter of luck!.

4!. If there is a particular style of photography you like !.!.!. study the details of why you like it!. Be analytical in your approach to the art!.

Best advice I can give,

BillWww@QuestionHome@Com

A good photographer once told me that you have to focus on the eyes!. also you have to remember that at a 2 hour location photoshoot you can take up to 300 images in one location!. Your whole holiday will be spent getting the *perfect shot*

Just take lot and lots of pictures, when you get home decide which ones you like and have a play around in adobe photoshop!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Simple answer: fill the frame!. Get in close and fill the frame!.

Starting out, your camera will take care of the rest to a reasonable degree!.

If you focus on nothing else, this alone will give you better images than 95% of what you see out there!. Many casual shooters look at a subject and say, "I've got to get a picture!." Then they point the camera and shoot without giving any thought to what specifically about the scene they want to capture!.

When you're good at that, you're well on your way to understanding composition and can make further progress there!.

After that, you will find yourself becoming more aware of the quality of light and exposure!.

Some other tricks: shoot in the morning and at the end of day!. Subjects are most attractive in that light!.

When you're in a place where a dozen photographers have their cameras pointed at the same subject, turn around and look for what they're missing!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

A very strong art background!.!.!.and I don't mean in photography but in drawing and painting!. You need it because you need to know about composition, colors/values, shading, and thinking WAY outside the box!. Photography classes focus more on the process itself and not on the art!. It's the art that makes your photos stand out!.

Practice, practice, practice!.

Luck!. Many pros can take dozens of rolls of film only to get one or two good ones!. Thank god for digital memory cards and the camera's "erase" feature!.!.!.

The camera is only a very small portion of what makes a good photo!. I've got a couple amazing shots using the 110 film camera I got for my third Christmas!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's more than the lighting, composition, and other technical aspects of the shot!. It's the ten inches behind the viewfinder that make or break it!. The camera you use is just a tool!. True, better ones help you, but it's the photographer that creates the image!. You'll know a great shot when you feel it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I totally disagree with this line of "thinking":

"Just take lot and lots of pictures, when you get home decide which ones you like and have a play around in adobe photoshop"!.

"Take a lot of pictures !.!.!. the more you take the better chance you have of getting a really good shot!. Professionals take hundreds of shots for every one that is good"!.

A monkey can take hundreds of photos and get one good shot!. Professionals do NOT do this!. They may take hundreds of photos, but I promise you they are not just mindlessly shooting and will have FAR more than one good shot!.

This method of "photography" is asinine!. Unfortunately, the coming of the digital age has fostered it!. To have the photos like you want, you need to take the advice of "ACE"!.!.!. it largely depends on YOU knowing what you are doing and MAKING the photo!.!.!. not just TAKING the photo!.!.!. or "hudreds of photos", which is completely idiotic!.

steveWww@QuestionHome@Com

First!. Make sure your lens is clean!.
Think about what you are taking, before you press the button!.
Take your time when making a shot, and look for obstructions, like a tree coming out of someones head etc!.
Think about the light!. You obviously have no screw thread for a polarising filter etc, so try to avoid pics at the beach in bright sun!.
When you come home and process your pics, dont be afraid to use the sharpen tool in your editing programme!.
Although I have CS3, I find the sharpen tool in Googles Picasa2, a free download, better than anyones!.
Hope this helps, and enjoy your holiday!.Www@QuestionHome@Com