How To Take A Great Photograph?

2 words: Compose It.

Yup, the only way to make a beautiful image is; to stage it. Something like studio work. You visualize an image and try to replicate it. If your visualized image is OMG. Then chances are, you photo will be OMG too.

If you notice, we don't even talk about the camera. Because, in reality, the camera can’t compose a image. Yes, it’s true, even the most Nikon of camera can’t do it. It’s just a tool. It’s not a magic wand. Only YOU can create an image and compose it via photography. The Operator.

Before photography was invented, an image had to be drawn by hand. These artists would have a subject to draw and paint. And they were quite pissed when Kodak came up with a tool that captures an image in a blink of an eye. But my point is, historically, an image - drawn or photographed – are usually either physically or imaginatively staged, be it weeks of preparation or a matter of seconds.

The only problem with staged image is, some are too fictitious. But if you browse Flickr, imaginative images are better accepted. Mainly because, people respond better to beautiful images, even if it's staged. It's art creation.

But if you're type who feels that studio work is a big fat bluff. That it's not 'real' and does not capture the 'emotion', yada yada. Then you're not being fair to these artist.

Images that represents 'truth', 'timeliness', 'accuracy' and 'realism' is actually not photography. That's photojournalism; capturing emotions and the 'right moments'.

Parents will bring their camera to their child's concert or a travel. That's not something that you can 'stage'. You snap based on how the event unfolds. And in the end, you'd view the pictures as how you saw and experience it. That's photojournalism.

Having said that, I guess most of us are are basically photojournalist, not photographers. So, the next question is: how to be a great photojournalist?

2 most important ingredients: the 2 Fs --- FAST shutter speed and FAT aperture. A photojournalist needs a fast tool. A studio photographer does not need these as much. They have studio lights and stationary subjects. But a photojournalist has subjects that runs around and not entirely within their control. Sounds familiar!

Photographer or photojournalist, just like any artist, you still need some form of pre-work. Before any photo is taken, you’ll need to decide the speed, aperture, the angle of the view, the focal length, the subject placement, the foreground and background. If you just pick up the camera and snap, you’re not an artist. You're just a picture taker.

Good night.