Tips for Good Photography

An email dropped into my inbox a few weeks back. It was from Emil Pakarklis and was titled Seven Tips for Taking Good IPhone Photos. I listened to the video and thought Emil presented some good sound basic ideas for photos shot with any camera. An opportunity to try some of these techniques occurred while waiting to start the next golf hole. That's the beauty of the IPhone. It's always with you.

Tip One: know what your subject is. Ever photo, even landscape photos, need a subject.
Three more; silhouette, shadow or reflect the subject.

In this first one, my intended subject is the sky and not the trees. But absent the trees, the sky would not be as compelling. Silhouetting the trees offers their structure but eliminates their detail.

In this image, the large tree and waterfall is the subject. It is enhanced in several ways. First, it is in the center of the image. (I ignored the rule of thirds) Second, it is reflected in the water. Third it is surrounded by a backdrop of similar trees (repetition and depth).

And finally, what makes this image so compelling is the way the sky provides a frame.
The colors were enhanced using Snapspeed and Distressed FX apps.