How to Take the "Perfect" Photo
photo by Stephen Harker via iStock
Everyone looking for information on how to take the perfect photo, raise your hand. Cool!
I’m going to list a few fun beginner photography tips covering how to take better photos. Along the way, I’m going to pose some scenarios and how we can use our current equipment and skills to make good images.
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What IS the Perfect Photo?
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I’m going to turn the photographic world on its ear by saying there is no perfect photo. Here is the reason I’m going out on a limb like that: photography is art. You could even label it Art with a capital A. It’s also Science, again with that capital letter. And finally, it’s a Craft.
Since Art is in the eye of the beholder, there really is no perfect piece of art, in any genre. No perfect song, no perfect painting, and no perfect photograph. What is perfect for our tastes may be merely enjoyable to someone else. What that other person sees as perfect to them might actually annoy us.
That’s all fine. Variety is good. Photographically, this artful variety can be accessed and controlled by the science behind photography, such as exposure values, and by the craft aspect of it, such as composition and various techniques. There are many things that factor in besides these few things I mentioned, I’m simply speaking in general terms.
Learn the Rules
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Among the many things that factor in are what we all refer to as the various rules of photography. Mostly, these rules function as guidelines, but some of the guidelines are a little more stringent than others.
As an example, let’s look at the Exposure Triangle and the Rule of Thirds. One is more restrictive in how it can be applied, but both are variable. Both of these are among the first things learned in beginner photography tips and are also at the top end of how to take the perfect photo.
The Exposure Triangle tells us that the three things controlling exposure in our camera settings, shutter speed, lens aperture, and ISO sensor sensitivity are all interconnected. Change one, and it affects the other two. Thus, there can be multiple settings for one scene exposure value.
That’s a little bit of craft and a lot of science. The art comes in by figuring out what is the correct exposure for a scene in the first place.
The Rule of Thirds tells us that a balanced composition of image elements can be achieved by placing elements on the lines dividing the scene into thirds or on the intersection points of those lines. That’s what I would call part of the craft of photography. The art comes into play by determining what elements to use and which lines or intersection points to work.
The same principles apply to many other aspects of photography, from flash use to depth of field, to color balance.
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Break the Rules
photo by natasaadzic via iStock
Once you know the rules, you can break them as you see fit.
For instance, we discussed correct exposure. Sometimes, the meter reading for “correct” exposure won’t work for what we’re attempting to capture. Instead of correct overall, maybe we want a high key or low key effect. Breaking the rules, actually more like bending or adjusting them, will get us there.
Similarly with composition techniques. Instead of balancing out the parts of the scene, perhaps we want to either emphasize or de-emphasize something. Using a different composition tool will let us capture the photo we have in our mind.
It’s worth noting that sometimes we can accidentally get a great result by bending or breaking a rule unknowingly. However, knowing the rules in the first place lets us understand what’s happening and allows us to repeat the technique with different situations.
Find Inspiration
photo by FG Trade via iStock
Searching for how to take the perfect photo may lead us to some interesting images from other photographers. I like to go back and look again at some of my favorite images from “The Masters” and also research what techniques and methods they may have used.
As a landscape photographer, I lean towards the images and techniques of Ansel Adams. Besides wonderful compositions, he was a master technician of the tools of photography. There is a lot written by or about Ansel Adams, some of which we’ve even done here as articles. Look up our Zone System articles for a quick overview.
Ed Weston, Dorothea Lange, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Gordon Parks are just a few other of the old masters that we can learn from in various aspects of photography. Besides landscapes and still lifes, their pics of people are fascinating.
Many current photographers also qualify as masters. Check out photography magazines and Instagram to find a lot of these artists.
Talk About It
photo by VioletaStoimenova via iStock
Making friends with other photographers helps us grow as artists and craft workers. We may have a close friend local to us that also enjoys photography, or perhaps in our business dealings we made a good friend out of a local professional, I know I have.
I liked photography clubs as I started out, happily these still exist. Many of them are online but you might find some local groups. Some are free to join, others may ask for a small subscription price.
In addition to the club scene, you can also join discussions on message boards or forums. I think we have a great forum here at PhotographyTalk.com, and other sites like Reddit have lots of daily threads started by photographers around the world.
Relax and Enjoy
photo by AleksandarNakic via iStock
My number one lesson in how to take the perfect photo is to relax and enjoy the Art, Craft, and Science of photography. We may never see, much less take, the perfect photo, but we can all keep learning how to take better photos.
See it as fun. Some people are drawn to the ins and outs of different techniques and the science behind the art, others focus on cultivating their own artful vision. I like to do both.
Any way you approach it, I like to encourage fellow photographers to keep learning, keep practicing, and continue to enjoy the process of our never ending quest for how to take the perfect photo.
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