Good photography is all about featuring your subject. We're going to discuss the things that cause the human eye to react.

Visit the show notes at:  https://williambeem.com/episode88

5 Tips to Draw Attention to Your Subject

If you want people to like your photos, you need to know how to draw attention to your subject. The world is full of photos. Some of them are good. Some come close to being good. Most really suck.

This isn't another recommendation to use Rule of Thirds or Leading Lines in your compositions. Instead, we're going to discuss the things that cause the human eye to react.

5: Unexpected Compositions

Most people will shoot a subject head on, and probably from a standing position. That means most photos are predictable and incredibly boring. You can give your photos a tremendous advantage by putting your camera in an interesting spot.

Move around your subject. Go left, right, up or down. Look at the light and think about how you can use it from different angles. Maybe you can get a silhouette or some edge lighting by stepping a few feet to the side of your subject.

Is there a place where you can get above your subject and shoot down, or just kneel and shoot from a child's perspective? Some of these tips may not work for every subject, but the idea is to try them out and see what works.

People are interested in something different. Move around and show them something unexpected.

4: Improve Your Sense of Timing

There is a concept known as the “peak of action”. It's that perfect moment to capture action. If someone is jumping, get the moment that the person is at the peak of the jump – When there is no more rise to the jump and before gravity pulls down.

The same thing is important in a hair flip. There's a moment when it looks just right, and other moments when it looks painfully awkward. You definitely want to work on your sense of timing with this kind of shot before your model's neck gets strained from flipping hair several times in a row.

3:  Opposites Attract: Use Contrast

Contrast comes in more than one form. You can use black & white, highlights and shadows, or opposite colors. Your subjects can also contrast one another. Use something old with something new. Tell a story about differences.

One easy way to use color contrast is to find a pool or a blue sky. It's a great contrast to skin tone.

2: Make Your Subject Sharper than Other Objects in Your Photo

There is a reason why photographers spend big bucks on lenses that provide beautiful bokeh. It's an excellent way of isolating your subject. Bokeh is a pleasing blur in the background, yet your subject stays sharp. It's a good way to draw attention to your subject, whether you're photographing a model or a bird in the wild.

Another way to make sure your subject is sharper than other objects in your photo is to eliminate other objects. Pay attention to your backgrounds. Eliminate complicated and distracting elements. Distill your photo to only include what you need and eliminate the rest.

It's much easier to draw attention to your subject when it's the only thing in the photograph.

1:  Your Eye Goes to the Brightest Part of the Photo

Light is the most important element to draw the human eye. When we're in darkness, we're attracted to the light. The same thing happens in our photographs.

You can use available light, off-camera flash, or even a vignette in post processing. Don't get too heavy handed (though that is a creative choice). The brightest part of your photo is where your viewer will look. Keep that in mind while examining your background.

If you see a hot spot or bright area that isn't helping, recompose your photograph.

Grab Your Viewer's Attention

These 5 tips to draw attention to your subject aren't the only tools you can use, but I think they are the most important. Leading lines, rule of thirds and Golden ratio all take a back seat if your subject is poorly exposed and blurry.

Use these essentials and grow with other composition techniques.

Photography requires good relationships. Making your ideas come to life often requires a bit of help. Here are a few examples where developing relationships can help your photography.

Visit the show notes at:  https://williambeem.com/episode87

Developing Relationships is a Great Way to Boost Your Photography Skills

Photography doesn't have to be a lonely experience. Developing relationships is one of the soft skills in photography that most people never mention, but it may impact your results more than you know.

Technical skills and creativity are necessary and wonderful. Making your ideas come to life often requires a bit of help. Here are a few examples where developing relationships can help your photography:

* Getting access to a location

* Working with a model

* Collaborating with a hair & makeup artist

* Getting help from a food stylist

* Working with a production designer

* Dealing with agencies

* Portrait session with photography assistants

* Including a second shooter at a wedding

* Working with caterers, florist, venues and other professionals serving a wedding or event

Photographers generally don't produce their best work in total isolation. We need partners as much as they need us.

Types of Relationships to Develop

Developing relationships to serve your genre of photography is important, but there are a few common examples for all of us.

Networking with Fellow Photographers

It's always a good idea to know other photographers, both within your genre and in other fields. That's because every photographer will see things in a slightly different way. If you put a bunch of photographers in front of the same subject, you'll be surprised at the variety of results they capture.

Just having different perspectives is valuable. It's a great way to grow your creative toolkit.

Creative alternatives are only one advantage. You can also learn technical skills from other photographers. Keeping networked may offer you opportunities that you may otherwise miss.

As a result of meeting and staying in touch with photographers, both in my area and elsewhere:

* I received invitations to events to work as media

* Extended my network by meeting other models, photographers, make up artists, studio owners and more

* Earned a job working as a technical editor on a photography book

* Trying gear before buying it

* Learning new technical skills

* Making new friends

By developing relationships with other photographers, I raised my own level of skill and creativity while making new friends. That not only helps be become a better photographer, but also a better and happier person.

Networking with Industry Professionals

There is much more to photography than dealing with other photographers. In most genres, the people who can help you the most aren't photographers, but they're related to your genre in another way.

* Food stylists create beautiful displays for you to photograph

* Wardrobe stylists create the look for your fashion photography

* Hair and Makeup Artists enhance the natural beauty of your subject

* Wedding planners, Florists and Venue Operators can help grow your wedding photography business

* Don't forget your clients. Referrals are the best source of new business

* People who own interesting locations can provide access

* Public Relations professionals can invite you or grant access to interesting or newsworthy events

You Have to Start Developing Relationships Somewhere

By now, it ought to be clear that you can raise your skills and take much better photographs as a result of developing relationships. That's how you find interesting places and get access, work with other talented creative folks, and learn of new opportunities.

Where do you start, though?

I started where I found other photographers. For some, that means joining a camera club. You can find photography related groups online. In Orlando, we have various groups who host meet & greet events for photographers,

A photography school is a trade school. Is it worth the debt in order to learn the basics of photography? You to decide whether the benefits are worth the cost.

Visit the show notes at:  https://williambeem.com/episode86

You Don't Need a Photography Degree

When I was in high school, I planned on getting a photography degree. It was all I thought about. I even narrowed my options down to two schools.

Brooks Institute, which sadly closed last year after 70 years of education was at the top of my list. That's because I spent time interviewing photographers and it came highly recommended. One of them told me to get a photography degree from Brooks and I could write my own ticket anywhere. Probably an exaggeration, but it worked on me.

The other was Daytona Beach Community College (now Daytona State). It had the advantage of being much closer to home and has a reputation that was nearly as good as Brooks.

Either college would've been a fine choice, but I got distracted by a new invention: personal computers. That lead me into a rewarding career in IT. I'll never know how life would've turned out had I gone the other route with a photography degree.  The nice thing about my IT career is that I learned most of it on my own, and a former employer paid for my complete college education. No debt.

I didn't need an IT degree to know how to do my job. The only reason I got it is because corporate IT jobs were becoming impossible to get without a degree.

What You Get With a Photography Degree

Please don't misconstrue this as an anti-education post. It's not. I've worked in the education field (as IT) for a couple of colleges. As a result, I know that some people truly benefit from a structured, educational program for their career. I also know that some people really don't need to learn their craft at a school.

Both paths take time, and the lessons are remarkably similar.

If you go to a photography school, you should expect to receive some of the following benefits:

* Learn how to build a portfolio

* Get professional feedback on your photography

* Work with gear that you probably can't afford to buy

* Get job placement assistance

When you think about it, a photography school is a trade school. It's on par with schools that teach you how to be a chef, a welder or a medical assistant. You'll learn the basics of your field, and you'll very likely have school debt to pay off.

It's up to you to decide whether the benefits are worth the cost, and if a structured education is the best way for you to learn.

Based upon my years in education, I can tell you two things about going this route.

1: If you pay attention and do the work, you will emerge as a functional practitioner of your subject.

2: A photography degree does not guarantee success.

The Fatal Flaw of Education

I live in Central Florida and we have a school called Full Sail University. It's a very popular school that teaches music & recording, art & design, film & television, video game development and more. One of the things I like about this school is its Hall of Fame – alumni who are very successful.

I know people who graduated from Full Sail. Some I met at my gym years ago. It was right across the street from the EA Sports offices where they create Madden NFL Football. Those folks had decent jobs.

Far more of the Full Sail graduates I met are cashiers at photography and musical instrument stores. They got the same education, but they never lived up to it. They're always looking out for their big break.

The problem is that big breaks don't just land at your feet. You have to go out and make them happen.

No matter how well educated you are, it doesn't mean a thing if you don't have the drive to make things happen for yourself. The same thing is true of a photography degree. It's basic preparation. You still have to take that basic knowledge and amplify it with your own creativit...

A photography critique is a useful method to learn. I've received welcome critiques from photographers better than I am. There is a very key difference between a consensual critique and an unsolicited photo critiques.

Visit the show notes at:  https://williambeem.com/episode85

Unsolicited Photo Critiques and Online Etiquette

I came across a post in a Facebook photography group recently asking for comments on a blog post. The topic said “Photographers Should be Criticized.” The notion in the post and in the Facebook discussion that followed is pretty simple. If you post something online, he feels you're subjecting your work for public critique.

I don't agree with this premise.

Critique is a useful method to learn and grow, not only as a photographer. It helps with writing and other creative endeavors. I've received welcome critiques from photographers better than I am. They helped me refine my photography and improve.

There is a very key difference between a consensual critique and an unsolicited photo critiques.

Providing an unsolicited photo critique creates a good chance of wasted effort. Your effort may come across as insulting, or simply be lost on someone who isn't ready to learn the lesson you intended.

The author of this post seems to think that a critique needs to be scathing, as he refers to “being blasted” by criticism.

I disagree.

Joe McNally is a master at conducting a critique. I attended a couple of his workshops and a daily critique of your photos is part of the process. Each morning, we gathered to show our photos before the entire class while Joe observes and comments.

He was never abusive or blasted anyone. Instead, he had an amiable way of asking what you intended and offered advice about how you could approach your shot, improve with a different technique, etc. If he liked your photo, he told you.

Joe is gracious with his praise and critique.

Everyone Receives Criticized. Here's How I Deal With It.

Occasionally, I receive unsolicited photo critiques on my photos shared online. The way I handle it is rather low key. Assuming the comment isn't abusive, I simply thank them for their input. If it's over the top, I ignore the criticism completely.

When I engage in something that I don't want in the first place, then it just grows and ends upon being a bad experience for everyone.

So my advice is simple. Don't feed the trolls.

About a month later, it seems that the author removed the post. Maybe he received criticism he didn't like.

FREE Lightroom Presets by ON1

I mentioned at the start of the show that you can get some free Lightroom presets from ON1. There are nine different collections of presets to download. They're absolutely free, so it's worth downloading to try them out on your own images and see how you like them.

Just visit:  https://williambeem.com/on1lrpresets

If you decide to buy something from ON1 while you're there, please use my coupon code to save 20%: WBEEM20

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Simplify your photography by eliminating color. Sometimes color is a distraction. Eliminating color can reveal an entirely different message or feeling.

Visit the show notes at:  https://williambeem.com/episode84

Knowing When to Ignore Color Creates Stronger Photos

Should your photos be in Color or Black & White? Knowing when to ignore color can help you create stronger photos by embracing the mood or emotion needed to tell your story.

Sometimes color is a distraction. Eliminating color can simplify your photos to reveal an entirely different message or feeling.

That doesn't mean converting your photos to black and white is a fix for a bad photo. I think most photos look much better in color than black and white. What's important is to know when color is part of your story, or if color is distracting from your story.

Elements of Color

When color works, it's often because of these three elements:

* Color Contrast / Complementary Colors

* Analogous Colors

* Bold Color

Color contrast includes colors at different parts of the color wheel. Here's an example from the Adobe Color Wheel:

Analogous colors are those close to each other on the color wheel:

There are other strong options, like Monochromatic, Triad and Compound color combinations. The trick is to recognize when your photo has color working for it, or when color may work against it. By keeping aware of strong color combinations, you may be able to arrange your composition to use color as a strong enhancement to your photo.

Bold colors tend to stand out from the rest of the background or other components of your photo. If it's a bold, complementary color – so much the better.

Elements of Shape

I attributed that quote to Joe Maisel on the podcast (and perhaps he's used it). The point is that people remember shapes before they remember color. Also, that color can distract the eye from shape.

Black and White tends to work best with high contrast and simplicity of form. When I see a bad black and white photography, it's usually because there are too many things competing for attention in the frame.

When you deal with monochromatic images, similar shades tend to make a mess. Stark contrast tends to make an impression when it doesn't have to compete with other shapes for attention.

Deciding Upon the Purpose of Your Photo

What kind of impact do you want to make with your photographs? Knowing when to ignore color is really about knowing what story you want to tell. Determine the impact you want to make. Pick a mood to convey.

Sometimes color is the story. If it isn't, try eliminating it to see if the photo is stronger without color.

Related Posts

The Dominance of Color

https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/

FREE Lightroom Presets by ON1

I mentioned at the start of the show that you can get a bunch of Lightroom presets for FREE from ON1.

Subscribe to The Photo Flunky Show

Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show. Make sure you get every episode by subscribing.

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