We’ve been on the topic of visual focal points and how they draw attention to your subject for the past few weeks. Now I want to introduce you to something that’s in the back of your mind. You probably don’t know why sharp lines and powerful shapes can create such an impact, but you’re about [...]

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Visual focal points are everywhere in great photography and art. It’s impossible to produce outstanding images without them. The funny thing about visual focal points is that you don’t even know they are there. They simply tie everything together and make you say “WOW.” But if you’re going to take your photography to the next [...]

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They’re the most stunning examples of photography you’ll ever see. When you flip through the pages of Time Magazine and National Geographic, you are confronted with the best of the best. How do these photographers do it? Are they simply lucky, do they have the right social connections, or is it much more than that? [...]

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Photography is about choices. Whenever you go out for a shoot, you have to decide which lenses you want to bring with you, which angle is best, and what aperture gives the right depth of field for your subject. Another important choice is the one you make between portrait and landscape modes. It is a [...]

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Truly great portrait photography isn’t anything like what you remember from high school. It isn’t about capturing someone in front of a fake background and hoping it turns out. From my experience, the portrait photographers who really know what they are doing take the time to learn everything there is to know about their subjects. [...]

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There has been a lot of recent talk about digital SLR cameras, lens modifications, and whether you need to go out and get a digital SLR right away. Sometimes the best arguments for getting the most out of your point-and-shoot system come from seeing what can be done with them. Usually, this is enough to [...]

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There is something peculiar about people. We are amazingly adept at reading one another. We can look into someone’s eyes and see emotions without having to think for a second about it. Because people are so good at this, photographers have to be careful when they frame portrait pictures. If you don’t give your subjects [...]

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It’s always a good idea to critique photos and to have one’s own photos critiqued. You don’t need to be a professional photographer to develop an eye for great photography. You just need to sit back and think about what appeals to you in a photo. Oftentimes, this is some combination of color balance, composition, [...]

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Some pictures are simply impossible to describe. They yank us right out of our seats and force us to pay attention. The only thing we have left to say is “Wow! I didn’t think you could do that.” It is the photographer’s dream and ultimate goal to produce pictures like this, and even the best [...]

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Today we’re going to have a look at how to analyze the composition of an image. Assuming that you have the exposure right and taken the lens cap off, you should end up with some nice images. A really great image, though, has to be well composed. Here are the points to watch out for.

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In my very first tip, I recommend moving closer to your subject. Almost any shot will look better if you take two or three steps closer. It works especially well on faces because when you fill the frame with your subject’s face, there is less clutter to draw the viewer’s eye away from the pleasing [...]

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What is Opportunity Photography? It’s when you take images of a subject you didn’t expect to take images of when you picked up your camera. One of my subscribers, Jeffrey Balliett, sent me some wonderful images of a fox that he saw in his back yard. Jeff was taking his camera to photograph a nesting [...]

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