Day 1: How to Take the Pictures You Really Want

Hi ConvenienceBigs

Laurence here!

In 2009, I gave up my job in IT to travel the world. My first destination was Australia, a stunning country where I desperately wanted to capture my adventures. I'd been taking photos since I was 13, but it was only on this trip that I started to focus on the art of photography and realized this was something I could be truly passionate about.

I quickly learned that photography is a skill that takes time, effort, and practice to master. It's not a question of gear — great photography is very much about the photographer.

Today, I am going to begin this series by going over a few basic, fundamental, must-remember tips:

TIP #1: The Rule of Thirds

One of the most important rules of composition is the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds requires you to break an image into three equal parts either vertically, horizontally, or both. The goal is to place key compositional elements into those thirds.

On your device, find the setting to enable a grid over the preview screen. Four lines will appear, two vertical and two horizontal.

Take a look at my shot above of a surreal sculpture park deep in the Australian outback, over which I have overlaid a grid to demonstrate the horizontal and vertical thirds.

With the grid, you can see how I have composed the image: one-third land and two-thirds sky, while the plane on the left is on the left-hand grid line, close to the intersection of two lines.

Placing subjects on the intersecting points will naturally draw your viewer's eye to them.

Doing this is a great starting point for a good composition.

Another of my favorite things to shoot is a sunset. To get a great sunset shot, you can easily apply the rule of thirds — composing the shot with two-thirds sky, and one-third land or sea.

Always avoid splitting the image half and half.

Tip #2: Leading Lines

When composing a photograph, you want to make it as easy as possible for the person looking at it to figure out the subject and focus of the image.

One way to do this is with leading lines — the use of natural geography or other features that will lead the viewer's eyes to the main subject.

Roads are excellent as leading lines, particularly in big landscape shots. When I was traveling in New Zealand, I wanted to create a photographic story of the hike up Mount Taranaki. Near the start of the hike, the walking trail itself gave me a perfect leading line to illustrate the journey ahead, drawing the viewer's eye into the frame and up to the mountain.

Another good illustration of a leading line is this shot of me walking on railway tracks in Italy:

Tip #3: Foreground, Midground, and Background

Have you ever taken a picture of a mountain or city skyline and then looked at it later and wondered why it doesn't manage to convey the majesty of what you were looking at?

This is likely because your photograph is a two-dimensional image and you have lost the sense of scale that is apparent when you are present and in the moment.

When composing a shot — and this is particularly true for landscape photography — think about the different elements in the foreground, midground, and background of the shot.

Here's an example of a sunset in Glencoe, Scotland, easily the most stunning place I photographed:

I used the rock in this frozen lake to provide something interesting in the foreground, helping to provide scale and balance to the overall image. The viewer's eye is drawn to the rock, and then likely to the mountain and sunset, before heading into the distance of the valley.

When you are out and about in the world, think about everything around you. If you see a far-off mountain you want to shoot, look around and see if you can find something interesting in the foreground or midground to incorporate into the shot.

Tip #4: Framing

This compositional technique isn't about hanging a picture in a frame — it's about using what's around you to "frame" the subject you are trying to capture, illustrating to the viewer what the shot is of and drawing their eyes into the scene.

In this shot of the bridge into the medieval town of Besalú in Spain, I used the old bridge and its reflection as a natural frame for the newer bridge.

When you have found your subject, look around to see if there's a way you can frame it creatively. Some good options for framing include vegetation, like tree branches and trees, as well as doors and windows.

This is a really easy photography technique, but it might require you to scout around, or step back from your subject, to find a good way to frame it. Don't be afraid to stand further away and use the zoom on your lens to get the frame you want.

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We're often told that a picture is worth a thousand words. As a photographer, it's your job to convey those words. Figure out how to tell a story with your image. Use emotion, find and freeze moments, and incorporate the human element so your shots resonate with your viewers.

Practice makes perfect and photography is no different in this regard! The more photos you take, the more you will learn how to compose and capture great shots.

So get out there and take some photos!

Until the next email!

Best,

Laurence

P.S. - If you're really looking to get into photography, I worked with Laurence to create a very in-depth, hands-on photography course (he even provides feedback on your pictures). It will help you get out of auto and master your camera - no matter what camera that may be! You can learn more about it by clicking here. You can get 10% off with the code "10off" when you check out too! :)

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