10 things to ask yourself before taking a photograph

Digital Photography School has a great article on asking yourself some questions before taking a photograph. I’ll be the first to admit that I generally have the habit of being shutter-happy. I guess it’s a bad habit from my point-and-shoot digital camera days.

I’ve been putting in more effort before taking photos lately and this article really helps me in understanding what I should think about before taking a shot.

Here are some of my favorites out of the 10:

1. What story am I telling?

This is an important question and one that should help you to make any number of decisions in terms of composition, framing, exposure etc. In essence what you’re asking is ‘why am I taking this shot? What is it’s purpose and what am I trying to convey?’ Is it purely a way to keep a record of a moment, are you trying to capture the emotion of a moment, is it possibly a shot to give to someone, is it part of a larger series of shots or will it be the only shot to commemorate the moment etc.

This is the hardest item for me. I’m not much of a storyteller. In fact, I do not have a story to go along with most of my photos. I just want to share what I see with anyone who views my photos. I need to put more effort to add a story to my photographs.

2. What competing focal points are there?

Once you’ve identified what you do want your viewers eyes to be drawn towards and have placed it in the frame - scan your eyes over the shot and see if there are any competing focal points and ask yourself whether they add to or take away from the image? Secondary focal points can add depth to shots but they can also be very distracting and so you might need to reposition yourself or adjust your focal length and/or depth of field to accommodate or remove them from your shots (read more on removing clutter from photography). Also keep in mind that if your shot has more than one focal point that it might be worth taking two shots, one of each focal point, in order to keep things simple.

Competing focal points. Why didn’t I think of that? I am always obsessed with my subject that I tend to ignore anything else. Background, foreground and anything else that distracts from my subject.

3. Is my Framing Straight?

It’s amazing how many otherwise good photos are spoiled by framing that is slightly offline. Sloping horizons and slightly leaning people or buildings should always be in the back of your mind to check. Read more on getting horizons horizontal and getting other lines straight.

I’ve talked about keeping horizons straight previously. Making sure that your framing is straight is equally important.

5. How will the eye travel through this image?

This is related to asking about focal points but gets in touch with the fact that while you’re photographing a still image your viewers eyes don’t remain still as they look at an image. People tend to follow lines and are attracted to shapes and colors so considering all of these different visual elements and cues can help improve your shots considerably. Read more on horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines and how they impact a shot.

Another interesting tip. I’ve never paid any attention to how my eyes “follow” through the image. Leading lines, signs and arrows will “lead” your eyes to a point in the photo. This is useful to emphasize your subject.

Head over to Digital Photography School to read the full article. They have some great photos to accompany each tip as well.

Note: Numbering is not the same as on DPS.