10 Quick and Easy Techniques To Get A Great Photograph Anywhere
By: The Art Of Photography
Tags: Iphoneography, Creativity, Photography Tips, Photography

There are many photography genres that necessitate a great deal of pre-planning and concrete objectives. But when a shoot is less dictated, one of the ways I ensure myself of getting things that nobody expected, is to find creative ways to rotate my camera, or image, in order to create something different. I will do this while I’m shooting — actually rotating my camera on playback. When I see something that looks interesting in a rotated view, I will play in that space for a while and get options, always trying to add purposefulness to the composition.

The key is in somehow divining that a shot might look good if seen upside down or rotated. Look specifically for things that are expressions of gravity or direction. But also when there’s a reflection you can switch around. The greatest effect of this technique happens when turning the image reveals something — it’s hard to pre-plan that, but you can certainly have an open mind to it and that will definitely help you discover the kinds of images that look entirely different than anything else.

Why It Works: this is literally a different view, so rotating an image can be entirely unique and mind-expanding. It often has the effect of confusion, which can be used for effect, but it also connotes a photographer who sees the world in different ways.

Window Shoot

“Mother/Son.” Photo by Josh S. Rose, 2015.

This is the best trick in the book. The window shot is my favorite easy way to nail a shot every time and is the easiest of all set-ups. If someone randomly asks you to do a portrait or you’re sitting around the house and want to get a nice shot of someone, move your organization over to the nearest window and voila, instant beauty.

Sometimes a window shot may seem like it might not be an option because the environment either inside or outside of it doesn’t seem great. But you can still use this spot for great light, simply by coming in a little closer, cropping out what you don’t like and really filling up the frame with your subject and that great light.

Why It Works: A good photograph is almost always two or more things working together. With the window shot, there’s a nice diffused single-source light that creates a nice natural look, but there’s also a window. This offers a hint at a story that adds to the mood and brings the whole thing together.

Iconic Location

“Santa Monica, CA.” Photo by Josh S. Rose, 2019.

The hardest thing about creating a great photo is that a photograph is one moment in time, usually devoid of context to the viewer. And context helps with emotion. So, the pressure is on you, as an image-creator, to get people to feel the story around the moment you’re shooting, but quickly and often without much to work with.

When you’re struggling for how to get quick emotion into a shot without having to try too hard, I suggest heading toward a place that already has context built into it. It doesn’t have to be a major landmark — it can be a church or a diner, too. Even just a desert road. There are many places in the world that hold iconic and emotional value, all by themselves. Use this built-in context to create immediate connectivity to your image.

Why It Works: These kinds of shots use a shorthand of shared vocabulary with your audience. An empty road already feels lonely. A mountain top, a symbol of achievement. With iconic environments, you’ve already chosen an emotional territory to create in.

Ground Shot