Today’s post is a little behind the scenes look at my thought process. Most of the time it is done subconsciously. I move the camera or myself around, perhaps zooming in or out, until things start to ‘click’. Sometimes I’m taking shots during this process, but often I work just by looking through the viewfinder and only begin to photograph when I’ve zeroed in on the composition.
In this example, I did take several photos as I was working on the scene. Although certain elements had my attention, I didn’t quite know what to do with them. So I photographed as I went along, looking at the results in the LCD. Here’s what I was thinking about:
Some flowers in a holder look beautiful as I stand in front of this small alcove just outside a cathedral in Oaxaca, Mexico. There are some textures and colors that look good together, but I’m not sure how much of what I’m seeing is really photo-worthy. I take the first picture.
Soon enough, I think that the focus should be on the flowers. I’m a big proponent of the ‘fill the frame’ philosophy, so that’s what I do and take the second shot.
I realize, though, that I’m missing out on some of the other elements that lend interest. I decide that the flowers can remain the ’star’ of the shot, but more of the scene can be shown. The other things in the scene will support the main subject, not detract from it. I switch to a vertical orientation and take a third shot.
Better. Now I’ve got the flowers standing out. They’re bright and the green really pops against the more subtle colors of the wood and wall. I also like the scroll shapes of the metal stand and how that complements the curves of the petals and leaves. Things are reasonably well balanced. I’ve given the frame of the glass cabinet some ‘breathing room’ on the right edge of the picture and put the bouquet in a nice ‘rule of thirds’ position. I’m pretty satisfied with the result. I don’t like the leaf extending out of the frame, but if I try to include it, the rest of the composition suffers.
I keep what I have, but I return to the church on another day to find the lilies have been changed. Now the leaves lean inward toward the center of the frame. I recompose for a horizontal shot. This now my favorite.
A little color correction and sharpening and it’s done. As I said, this process usually goes on a lot more intuitively and without the deliberate step-by-step fashion I’ve described here. But when I stop to break it down, this is a very accurate portrayal of the decisions I’m making moment to moment.
Fortunately, as we get better as photographers, a lot of the esthetic and compositional choices we’re making all the time get shifted to ‘auto’ and we don’t have to slow to a crawl getting the elements in a scene to make sense. This comes with time and a lot of shooting, though. And it’s important to remember to not let the process run away from you either. Be deliberate about your choices and know why you’re doing what you’re doing and in time the camera really does become an extension of your eye and brain.





















































