Digital Photo Tip: Location, Location, Location

Posted Jun 20, 2008 | by Rich Menga  

You can be the worst photographer armed with the cheapest digital camera and still get great shots if you’re willing to seek out subjects that look interesting.

Here’s a few examples of what I’m talking about.

(click any image for larger size)

DeLorean Prop Car, Universal Studios, March 2007This is the prop car from Back to the Future, taken at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida in March 2007. This shot was an absolute no-brainer. Center the car in the shot, point, shoot, done. There is absolutely no thinking necessary (other than centering the subject) when taking a photo like this. Not only is the subject interesting but the background is also complementary as well.

BeamingThis is a shot of some sunrays breaking thru a cloud. For all intents and purposes, this is a bad shot. There’s a big ugly phone pole and an ugly sign to the right, but for some reason this shot actually works. I couldn’t tell you why. To get a shot like this, it’s real simple. Wait for dusk. You can get a shot like this just driving home from work. (This is why I tell anyone to always have a digital camera in your car whenever you go anywhere – you never know when a shot will present itself.)

Regal Cinemas, Citrus Park Mall, Tampa FloridaI took this shot while out on a date. It’s a theater that’s built-in to a mall. There was enough light blasted out by the neon and signs to “get away” with taking a shot like this. To be honest I didn’t even know if it would come out correctly, but it did. I took a risk and it worked. Luck? Yes.

Location doesn’t necessarily mean exotic (like Universal Studios); it means anything that looks particularly interesting.

The best advice I can give anyone is to always carry a digital camera wherever you go. If your camera is too bulky to do that, buy a thinner one. Then you won’t be kicking yourself every time you see something and think Oh wow, what a shot I could get.. ah rats.. my camera is at home… Locations will present themselves to you if you have your camera at-the-ready.

Which Of These Traits Applies To YOUR Computing Life?...

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