How do YOU take a photo?

I am wondering what thought processes you go through when you decide yes this will be a great photo

Post away

I have been working on this process a lot lately. I used to just see something that I liked and shoot it. Lately I have been forcing myself to be more picky.

• I like the subject.
• Why do I like it?
• Have I shot it before and did I like how it came out?
• How is the best way to shoot this so that it stands out in a crowd?

After all this I then decide to shoot it or I go on to the next shot. Lately I have been passing up 3/4 of the shots I would have taken before BUT I am getting a lot more photos that I actually do like.

Shoot less...Keep more

Generally, I go through the entire process to the end result. I envision a scene in front of me as a final image, then run through what steps I need to take to get me from here to there?

Focal length? Shutter speed? ISO? Aperture? Where do I place the camera?

Then check the histogram for a proper exposure to obtain the data needed in post. I also double-check focus and composition.

In post, I usually perform the steps I planned for when I was back in the field.

There is a reason why I am asking and it has to do with my film camera sitting in the dry cabinet waiting for me to load it. This has made me rethink how and why do I take a photo.

Scott Murray said:

There is a reason why I am asking and it has to do with my film camera sitting in the dry cabinet waiting for me to load it. This has made me rethink how and why do I take a photo.

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Back in my film days I had to be a lot more careful. Early on when I was doing all my own processing at home I had to plan out my shots before I left home. Triple check all my settings before I started shooting and recheck before each shot.

That got a little easier when I started working in photo labs and was required to shoot and have film processed at each lab I visited each time I visited so I usually had at least 1 role of film a day processed and printed.

I think with digital all of us old film shooters got a little sloppy with our thinking. We know we have 64GB of storage in our cameras so big deal, go ahead and shoot and delete later. That is what I am trying to cure now.

Don Kuykendall said:

Back in my film days I had to be a lot more careful. Early on when I was doing all my own processing at home I had to plan out my shots before I left home. Triple check all my settings before I started shooting and recheck before each shot.

That got a little easier when I started working in photo labs and was required to shoot and have film processed at each lab I visited each time I visited so I usually had at least 1 role of film a day processed and printed.

I think with digital all of us old film shooters got a little sloppy with our thinking. We know we have 64GB of storage in our cameras so big deal, go ahead and shoot and delete later. That is what I am trying to cure now.

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And we can shoot and hope, it doesnt work adjust and shoot again. We have gotten lazy..

During my morning coffee actually I get some mood taking photos. This is also when I am on vacation. I have to add that I am a man who likes taking photos in different moods, just to see the out coming, and I am curious the pics are gonna show the mood I was in.

Example: Street. I decide then which lens, where to go, north, west, east or west.

Or I get an Idea taking a park walk, landscape or a in front of my house, using tripod, etc..

I see something interesting, than I think all in frame or just some details. Every time I keep in mind what I wanna tell through the photo, for my business, for my friends, for people who see the first time the photo.

In some situation I see something but it is not showing through the viewfinder what I see, I switch thinking to light and shadow for b/w version.

Many times I am at the same place,. So taking photos there is a challenge for me which I like.

I separate general photos and photos only for family. Example, some family shots in front of some great background I will take again without family in there.

Over all I wanna catch "This" moment.

siamthai1 said:

During my morning coffee actually I get some mood taking photos. This is also when I am on vacation. I have to add that I am a man who likes taking photos in different moods, just to see the out coming, and I am curious the pics are gonna show the mood I was in.

Example: Street. I decide then which lens, where to go, north, west, east or west.

Or I get an Idea taking a park walk, landscape or a in front of my house, using tripod, etc..

I see something interesting, than I think all in frame or just some details. Every time I keep in mind what I wanna tell through the photo, for my business, for my friends, for people who see the first time the photo.

In some situation I see something but it is not showing through the viewfinder what I see, I switch thinking to light and shadow for b/w version.

Many times I am at the same place,. So taking photos there is a challenge for me which I like.

I separate general photos and photos only for family. Example, some family shots in front of some great background I will take again without family in there.

Over all I wanna catch "This" moment.

Click to expand...

Thanks Michael

Great thread.
I had no idea you all put so much thought into your photos.

Mmmm .... maybe I should just have said I have no idea and leave it at that.

This year I am shooting far less than I did last year with the 365 and find that my photos seem naturally more selective.
I am not capable of imagining the end product and how I can go about processing what I see in front of me to what I would like it to turn out.

So I guess I just see something and the light and composition either appeals to me or it doesn't.

I do enjoy the experience of learning and growing.

That's not as easy a question to answer as i thought. Between 480sparky and Michael my process is in there somewhere.
I find it hard to force creativity. If i look too hard it usually doesn't work out in picture for me. It's more like my camera and process of photography is separate from something that wasn't born out of a desire to photograph but out of the enjoyment of simply "seeing" something. Trying to bring the two together makes photography fun and challenging.

I have no idea of the mental processes. I see something I like, aim and shoot.

usually I see a situation and out of experience, I know how I want the image. I know the lens I want and the proper focal length. sometimes I come to shoot it and im not happy with it and I have to adjust it a bit with focal length and aperture or lighting.

other times I see a situation and take a lens that will give the rough perspective I want. I look around/scope the scene to see where I should start, then walk around. I play with the focal length and my angle. try higher, try lower, left, right. I can usually shoot a scene with a few completely different "looks" and "feel" altogether. and I always try to do that. selective focus, shallow DOF, compression, exaggerated perspective. and I also consider flash as well if need be. I try a few things and see what works.

but itll never be that I see something> stay in the same place> take my camera out> shoot and walk away. the lowest minimum I would do is at least shoot it a bit lower or even get a bit higher. I usually know what I can do but I experiment with the angle and focal length. then look at the image and adjust a bit. but the scene also has to be interesting for me to take my gear out and put effort. ive done that in the past where I got excited from everything. ive experienced that.

Don Kuykendall said:

I have been working on this process a lot lately. I used to just see something that I liked and shoot it. Lately I have been forcing myself to be more picky.

• I like the subject.
• Why do I like it?
• Have I shot it before and did I like how it came out?
• How is the best way to shoot this so that it stands out in a crowd?

After all this I then decide to shoot it or I go on to the next shot. Lately I have been passing up 3/4 of the shots I would have taken before BUT I am getting a lot more photos that I actually do like.

Shoot less...Keep more

Click to expand...

you said it perfectly. over the years I notice myself being more selective on what ill shoot. Iwont take my camera out for the hell of it just for snapshot. I want great images and I have to choose them. over the years I can see a scene and tell if its something that will stand out from a regular averageshot. when I started I hd a lot of drive to shoot and shoot. I search for something special now. thats difficult to do.

if im on vacation I will do a short video or a snapshot with my phone just to document it. but today it has to be unique for me to take my gear out.

When I see something I am interested in photographing I generally start by composing the scene and choosing the angle and checking out the background. A lot of times moving just a few steps to the right or left will make a huge difference. After I get that I choose the lens and depth of field needed to get the look I want. I have a tendency to use shallower depth of field for most wildlife shots. Shutter speed and ISO are generally last on my list except if stopping some action is needed and in that case the shutter speed and ISO will get bumped up the priority list. I also like shooting a subject from different angles to change the look of the image I am shooting. I would like to add that getting a subject in sharp focus is a high priority for me in getting a good image.

I've been working on learning how to "see" in a more artistic sense for a while now as I continue to learn about composition. On a more practical level when something catches my eye I ask myself what it is, more exactly, that I like. Is it about color, is it about shapes, is it a pattern, does it make me feel something? Usually it's one of those things but not always. Regardless, once I've decided it's worth shooting, I start looking at it through the viewfinder and working the shot.

I look for strong compositional elements and try to keep the background clean both in form and color (I don't like too many competing colors in the background if I can avoid it). I change perspectives by getting high and low and working from as many angles as I can. Usually, when a composition comes together something "clicks" for me in visual sense. On the other hand, sometimes the shot just doesn't pan out and I have to let it go.

I'm not averse to taking as many shots as I feel I need to get The One Shot, but I also delete ruthlessly and I don't start shooting without some degree of purpose. Doing a 365 as I am means I probably take fifteen or twenty shots every day, but I only keep one; possibly two if it's a good day.
.....

1. First I determine my subject.
2. Then I decide which composition element(s) I want to incorporate--such as Selective Focus, Leading Lines, Framing, Dynamics (such as diagonal lines or a high contrast scene), Rule of Thirds, and/or any other elements that help showcase my subject.
3. What focal length will help me accomplish the above?
4. And I determine what shutter speed will be necessary--either fast if it is breezy and/or necessary or slow if motion is something I want to incorporate (sometimes having to change my ISO to accomplish this).

And sometimes I do all the above shooting from different vantage points. What shot I might like while I'm out shooting may not be my favorite capture when viewing the photos on my computer.

In all honesty, when you've done it enough, the above starts to become second nature. It reminds me of learning how to ride a bike. Initially you struggle to think of all these different things (or realize later you've forgotten to do some of them), but as you focus your attention on what to do, over time it becomes more automatic. I find myself looking at the scene while my fingers are changing the aperture, but I'm not giving any direct thought to selective focus. Just like when you steer the bike to the right or to the left to avoid a nail, you don't think what do I do so I don't run over it?? You start to react automatically. THAT's why it is important to intentionally work on each compositional element until it becomes ingrained into your actions.

Without reading any of the other posts (didn't want to taint my process by saying "YEAH, I should do that..."

I usually go out shooting with something in mind, so before I've even stepped out of the door, I've ensured the lens I want is on the camera and that the mode is where I want it to be "A, S or M". If in Manual, I dial in assumed settings that should be close, that way I don't have to go crazy trying to meter for any actual shots.

I then head out with my eyes open for my intended shot, head on a swivel. When I spot something I like, the camera goes to my eye, then I focus and decide... Is this the angle I want? Is this the comp I want? Is this the shot I want? Closer? Farther? Different angle? (If it's wildlife or people, I snap a couple anyway, before they move) If all works out, I snap 2. If not, I move (or zoom when possible) and reassess in the viewfinder. Once set, I snap 2. Not rapid fire, but intentionally fired 2 snaps.

For portraits, much more goes into it. I let the AF hit, then I fine tune to make sure the eyes are at their best, then snap 3. Usually the 3rd is the best, as the subject is usually more "posed" for the first snap, and they've learned to expect the 2nd as well, so it's still not quite relaxed. I give a little delay for the 3rd snap, and it's usually the relaxed version of the shot I was after.

It's all digital, though. I probably wouldn't go through the same process with film, just because of the cost of film.

INTERESTING SIDE NOTE: During my last photography course, the instructor mentioned the difference between digital and film relating to portrait shooting, and said with new clients, the "nerves" usually ruined the first 1/2 hour of shooting anyway, as they weren't yet comfortable with the photographer yet... He said he would never book a session for less than an hour, and for the first 30 minutes, he would "snap away" with no film in the camera. Then, after the customer had learned to respond to what he was asking and relax a bit, he'd drop some film in and shoot the entire session "for real" for the last half hour. NEVER ONCE did he ever have a customer notice, and he always got compliments for how he worked with people because his shots "looked more natural" than anyone else's product.

I'm sure there's a way I can incorporate that into digital... maybe just by switching SD cards halfway through and comparing.

hark said:

In all honesty, when you've done it enough, the above starts to become second nature. It reminds me of learning how to ride a bike. Initially you struggle to think of all these different things (or realize later you've forgotten to do some of them), but as you focus your attention on what to do, over time it becomes more automatic. I find myself looking at the scene while my fingers are changing the aperture, but I'm not giving any direct thought to selective focus. Just like when you steer the bike to the right or to the left to avoid a nail, you don't think what do I do so I don't run over it?? You start to react automatically. THAT's why it is important to intentionally work on each compositional element until it becomes ingrained into your actions.

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Well said, @hark! Gete out there and practice on specifics, and soon it becomes second nature. My first shot comes a lot faster these days than it did when I was shooting my first homework assignment!

I try to think as little as possible, which is probably apparent.

Well, I sure can't add anything to this thread. My problem is that I see the subject (flower). By the time I get the camera on the tripod, the angle/POV decided upon and the settings all figured out and ready to shoot, the flower has wilted and died. Ha!