A Humorous Guide to Better Photography

Dave Shafer

Taking better pictures can be a piece of cake with these tips

The tips we will cover are sort of like a light touch-up at the barber. We assume you already have some basic skills and we just want to do some fine tuning.

Whether your camera is an old original 1$ Brownie box camera or the latest mega-camera it is the least important part of taking good pictures.

Most important of all is your eye and the brain that it is hooked up to. We want to train the little man here to make better choices when taking pictures.

My goal in photography is to express myself while linking together creativity and humor.

I am always looking for the visual equivalent of a good joke.

My specialty is flower photography but the principles of good photography – like having diagonal lines in your composition - are universal.

Tip #1 Use unusual perspectives to make more interesting pictures.

A direct view may be less interesting than a slanted perspective

An unusual perspective can enhance the interest of a scene. A view from above is often effective.You can climb up a church steeple and get a good view. This is Nordlingen, Germany

Elevated perspective can show patterns that can’t be easily fit into a ground level photo. Czech Republic

Elevated perspective looking down from a castle adds a lot of interest. Czech Republic

Prague garden – it would have been better if I could have gotten up a little higher for this shot.

Edinburgh, Scotland – elevated view of park

Back of leaf Base of carnation

Unexpected perspectives can add interest to closeup photos.

Back of flower (instead of usual front shot) + cropped and flipped

Unusual perspectives are interesting and can also have a surprise element. Here a face closeup becomes mostly abstract shapes

An unusual vantage point can make an exceptional photo

Sometimes it is hard to find the best perspective for a photo or for its final version. This amazing “Swiss Church on the Edge” photo from Luzern shows a church where you don’t want to go out the wrong door. I shot it from a gondola with a telephoto lens.

But here is another shot from further away and now you can see the incredible straight drop and how long it really is. But with this photo you can barely see the church and with the first shot you can’t see how long the drop is. So there is no way to get an optimum single photo.

People in foreground boat can lead you into a picture. – Czech Republic.

Tip #2 – use people to pull you into a scene

Flower bridge - Lucerne, Switzerland. Boy in front pulls us into picture.

Here the two statues lead us into the picture.

Here the people in the far background draw us in - Mainau, Germany

Here the bull leads us into the picture and the man leads us out. Ouch!!

People show the scale of Linderhof castle grounds, Germany

Sometimes a sign is needed to explain the perspective used in a photo.

Tip #3 – look for diagonal lines when composing a picture.

Diagonals in photos are visually much more interesting than horizontal and vertical lines

The diagonal reflecting pool makes a better photo than if it were purely horizontal.- Fairfield beach.

Rooftop closeup with strong diagonals – Munich,Germany

Munich, Germany – wet pavement reflections and a diagonal composition.

This photo of the Creature from the Black Lagoon has strong vertical and horizontal lines and that makes for a pretty static composition.

Here her crooked leg makes all the difference and puts a strong diagonal right in the center. It is a much more dynamic composition.

Here too the girl’s diagonal oriented torso and legs make for a dynamic image. And the crocodile’s body is not horizontal in the photo, making a better composition.

Tip #4 – simplify and avoid distracting backgrounds

Be selective in your composition. Too much detail can weigh down a picture with too much baggage. There is no need to show the whole bird, flower, person, etc. Pick one center of interest and then feature that. Crop a photo if you can do that.

Keep it simple - piling up too much detail does not make for a good picture

This cat photo is simple but has a distracting background

Optimize background – try several different positions from which you take the photo. Avoid distracting backgrounds.

Pretty , but distracting background Much better

Part of a dogwood blossom is just as good as the whole

A poppy center has lots of detail. African violet center is also interesting. Don’t need to show whole plant or flower.

Isolate most interesting part and also avoid too much symmetry.

Boring Better

Too symmetrical = boringMuch more interesting – very asymmetrical

Less is more, in art – unless you are into tatoos

Wasp is a little off-center to avoid too much symmetry, simple background. Squirrel has diagonal lines, simple composition, good background, focus is on face.

Extremely simple nude photo – uses a diagonal composition, background does not distract, very unusual perspective, has human interest, etc.

Tip #5 -Look everywhere for the human element

Daffodil Marriage SpatThere are “faces” everywhere

“Dancing Orchid Ladies” – looks like folk dancers

Amazing human detail in this orchard lady

Here is a human interest shot that I set up with some toy soldiers and a bumblebee (dead). It also has humor and surprise elements.

The best human interest photos show people in unusual situations and/or behaving in unexpected ways. Gossiping while wearing gas mask, etc.

Bug Sex

This photo combines humor, surprise, and humanizes our possessions.

Candid people photos can make for memorable pictures. This has to be one of the 100 best photos of all time.

“Nude Photography”

This photo has both humor and surprise

The unexpected always makes for a stronger photo.

“The Critic”

I saw this in Nuremberg and it has both humor and surprise. The parents were inside the store. Europeans are much more casual than we are about leaving children outside a store while they go in.

In my “A Long Marriage” picture I used Photoshop to switch the water reflections, to show that each partner here has incorporated elements of the other. Photos can try to tell a story. But here, unfortunately, most people do not notice the switched reflections.

Photoshop should be used sparingly and not draw attention to itself.

Tip #6 – try to tell a mini story with your photo, or imply something that is about to happen, or show something surprising.

My dishwasher has a special pre-rinse cycle. I like pictures of animals doing unexpected things.

Animals acting in unexpected ways, like this ninja mouse or the ostrich reading over your shoulder, always make great photos.

Here there is a great little mini-story, although a Photoshop one.

In this Post-it ad he has put her name (Jane) on her forehead for when he wakes up. An implied mini-story.

Here is are two great photos of something about to happen - mini stories.

Unexpected pairings can make for great photos.

This photo tells a little story but it is a mystery what it is about. A sporting event?

When my son became a father of triplets I knew that he saw them as an extension of himself, as I showed by using Photoshop here.

This shows a great mini-story. She is reading the Kama Sutra and he looks very apprehensive.

6:00 A.M. early morning mists on lake at Lakeville, Connecticut

Tip #7 – experiment with early morning photos, late at night, unusual weather, water reflections, etc.

Neuschwanstein castle in the mists - Bavaria, Germany

Mists enhance fairy tale atmosphere.

Frankfurt, Germany – dramatic trees at night.

Cologne Philharmonic roofs in front of Cologne Cathedral, late at night.

Autumn pond reflections and crabapple water drops

“Ghost Armada” – water reflection photo.

Water reflection -Fairfield beach, Connecticut

It may be hard to achieve some of these tips but it is worth the effort.

(this image reminds me of someone I used to date)

1) Try unusual perspectives

2) Use people to pull you into a scene

3) Try for diagonal lines when composing a shot

4) Simplify and avoid distracting backgrounds

5) Look everywhere for the human element, or humanizing slant

6) Try to tell a mini-story with your photos

7) Try night pictures, unusual weather, water reflections Good luck with these tips!