Pixiq

Based in Chicago, Clayton McLaughlin is a digital media professional by day and amateur photographer by night (and weekends). More of his work can be found at www.clayton-mclaughlin.com/photography

Don’t sweat the small things, but definitely pay attention to them. Remember small things add up to big things. And big things turn into nice photographs. So here are a few small things that will help you create better photography.

Check Your Background

Consider what is appearing behind your main subject. This is, of course, assuming you’re not lucky enough to have an indoor studio in which you can control every aspect of the image. Instead, you’re likely in an everyday situation with a LOT of uncontrollable elements. We’ve all seen examples of people with telephone poles sticking out of the top of their head. That’s the extreme. Take the below image as a more subtle example.

There are a lot of compositional issues with this picture, but consider what the background says about the situation (or what it does not say). I can see a trash can, some siding and a random window. These elements basically tell me nothing, except maybe that the image is taken outside of a house. Sometimes a simple background says more than a complex one. Sure these things can be removed with some creative post-processing, but wouldn’t you rather spend that time taking new pictures instead of fixing old ones?

Take a Closer Look at Focus

Despite the fact that new DSLR’s are getting bigger and bigger screens, let’s face it, we’re not looking at a big screen TV. Images almost always look sharp on the back of the camera. It’s disappointing, to say the least, when you get an image onto your computer and it turns out the picture is in fact quite blurry. There are two settings on most DSLR’s that should be adjusted depending on the situation.

First, the Auto Focus Mode. For portraits check out One Shot Modes. For moving subjects such as sports use the AI Servo mode on a Canon, Continuous Servo on Nikons. This mode continually tracks a single subject despite movement for quick refocusing. Most professional sports photographers will use this mode exclusively.

The second setting to check out is the Auto Focus Point, basically which dot in your viewfinder is used as the focus point. This mode is especially helpful when taking group pictures as you can select multiple focus points to ensure everyone is properly exposed. Play around with these settings to get a good grasp on which situation call for which changes.

A quick tip for better image reviewing on your camera, use the zoom in feature. On a Canon DSLR there are two light blue magnifying glasses, on Nikons there is just one. As soon as you take your picture, use the live view zoom function to check focus. Then you can immediately adjust if need be and take another, better image.

Check Your Settings

This is a really subtle thing, but something like inaccurate white balance or a different profile can drastically change the outcome of the final photograph. It’s discouraging to happen upon a great photo opportunity only to snap the picture and realize that the camera was calibrated for yesterday’s rain storm when there is nothing but bright sunshine today. Yes, post processing can fix this, BUT WOULDN’T YOU RATHER BE SHOOTING? When you’re done shooting, return all settings to some kind of predetermined default setup. Then every time you pull the camera out, you’re in familiar territory.

Remember, small things all add up and can create one very good looking photograph.