How To Work The Shot

Do you see other people’s photos and wonder how they can be so creative? Are you frustrated because what you see IS NOT what you photograph?

You’ve got to work the shot.

What does that mean anyway?

Let me let you in on a photography secret, one I was reminded of while watching Scott Kelby’s Google+ Video.

You can’t just stand there and shoot. You’ve got to do some creative work. You’ve got to move. As Scott says, “you’ve got to work the scene.”

Think about how you create a scrapbook page. You might place your photo on the page and drag it up, down, left, and right. You are searching. Looking for the sweet spot. With practice, you begin to find it faster.

Use the same technique when photographing your next subject.

Walk around. Move around. See things from a different angle.

Try shooting from a lower viewpoint.

Or a higher one.

Or going straight on.

Shoot with a wide open aperture. Or close it down, selecting f/16 or f/22.

What happens? They all change the creative impact of your photo.

Somewhere in all of that moving around you will find THE shot.

Creativity takes work. Creation doesn’t happen when you stand in one spot. Click To Tweet.

What Should You Do Now?

So you know you’ve got to work the shot. How do you do that?

Step 1: Walk around your subject

Look for angles. Look for views you haven’t seen before. Watch the light. Consider placing your subject in a different spot in the frame. Do something you don’t normally do.

Step 2: Look for the good light

Watch for the light. Look for the light as it brightens eyes and illuminates faces. Look for shadows that compliment parts.

Step 3: Watch For The Action

Look for where the action is happening. Their hands, their face, their movement.

Step 4: Shoot. And then shoot again

Don’t shoot with a shotgun approach. Shoot with precision and thought. Don’t skimp on the shots, but do make each one really count. And edit to finish the shot.

And Then, Remember…

Your eyes don’t see things in the same way as your lens so you’ve got to work the shot. You’ve got to find the angle that gives you something that really works, or maybe something even better.

The more you play with your camera, the more you get to know your lenses, the faster you will begin to bridge the gap between what you see and what your eye sees.

Now let me know what you look for when you are working the shot by leaving a comment below.