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During my time as deputy editor for PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, I had the privilege of rating the pictures in our month-to-month images competitions on Photocrowd. It was, nevertheless, a quite totally different affair after I was requested to guage the entries of my native digital camera membership, stay in entrance of the entrants.
With the membership members sitting only a few toes away from me whereas I used to be giving my critique on round 36 totally different photographs, I needed to be tremendous cautious that my suggestions was spot-on. I attempt to take as a lot ego out of the equation as doable, and concentrate on stable recommendation for what they might do higher and work on subsequent time, in order that they’ll develop and change into a greater photographer.
The competitors was divided in two; one was for printed photographs that had been mounted and introduced to me on a plinth on the entrance of the viewers, the opposite was PDI (Projected Digital Image) the place the pictures have been displayed on a big TV.
Here are some ideas that may aid you when getting into your individual native – and even nationwide and worldwide – images competitions…
Strengthen your composition
It may sound cliché, but using the tried and tested rule of thirds is a great way to strengthen your composition. With this technique you divide up your frame into nine equal boxes and place your subject on one or more of these lines to produce better composition – it’s a brilliant place to stick the horizon on your landscapes.
The rule of odds is another compositional technique, which states that an odd number of items in your frame can look more pleasing than an even number. But of course, rules are meant for breaking – so don’t feel too constricted by them. There’s a time and a place for a completely symmetrical composition that doesn’t follow either of these rules.
Maximize your use of space and let subjects ‘breathe’
The space in front of a subject is called ‘active’ space, while the space behind it is referred to as ‘dead’. Usually you want to leave active space in front of your subject, as this helps the subject to breathe and give it space to move into.
It’s best to avoid placing your subject next to the edge of the frame, and also looking out of the frame, as this guides the eye out of the image – and will leave a lot of dead space behind your focal point, too.
Exposure
Make sure the exposure is good across the entire image and watch out for burnt highlights that have ‘clipped’ to pure white.
Shoot in RAW to have more exposure data when editing, to make it easier to rescue highlights, but also use your camera’s histogram to check your exposure, shoot multiple exposures for an HDR if necessary, and always check your LCD screen to make sure that the exposure and focus look good before moving on.
Pin-sharp shots
Intentional blur in a photo can look great, whether that’s to blur moving clouds or water, or add some panning blur as you track a subject like a motorcyclist whizzing past. But when unintentional blur creeps in, it is likely to hamper your score.
Check that your image is pin-sharp and focused on your subject to make it the focal point, and use a tripod or ensure that your shutter speed is fast enough to avoid camera shake (usually 1//50 sec or faster when shooting handheld) and turn on your image stabilization, too.
Guiding the eye
The best photographers have mastered the art of effortlessly guiding our eyes to exactly where they want us to look in the image, making a strong focal point. This can be by picking a subject that stands out from its surroundings because of its bright color or light falling on them.
Try to make use of leading lines, which are lines in your composition (such as a pathway, row of trees or fence posts) that can be lined up to guide the viewer’s eye to your subject.
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Want to know more? Check out our article If I had to start my camera setup from scratch tomorrow, this is the body and lens I’d buy.
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