Comments on: How do YOU Recognize a Good Photo Opportunity?

By: Bob Schwabik

Bob Schwabik — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:38:05 +0000

Patience is key. I work on the philosophy that in the final analysis the only person who MUST like my images is me, so that said, the recognition of a great image will vary by person. I’ve missed many a great photo-op due to lack of patience. Simply stated if you see a good scene stop right now and take the image as it will not be there waiting for your return. I always carry a camera with me, at teh minimum it’s the Canon G10. While on a project several years ago the little G7 I was carrying at the time got me the cover of the USCG Yard calendar.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:32:52 +0000

My favorite technique to find new ideas or opportunities is to continually go back to the same spot numerous times. When ever I do that, I load my favorite photos from my previous visits to the same spot on my smartphone (Evo 4G) and use that as a point of reference. This allows me to notice differences in lighting, color, shadows, etc and create a completely new image. Not only will this give you practice in adapting to tricky environments, it will also show alot of versatility in your portfolio, if that is the direction you are going.

Also, you can try blending your different photos using the HDR feature in Photoshop. I havent personally tried this, but I hear HDR blending on images that are different based on colors, shadows, etc and not just exposure, can sometimes produce interesting results.

By: Debashis

Debashis — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:20:38 +0000

Each of us has a fairly good idea of what we like to photograph. My suggestion would be to practice on familiar and interesting (to the photographer) subjects until you are able to control your camera well. Progress to spending a little time in visualising your shot before looking through the view finder….once there start looking around at other things….that is my two cents worth of suggestions

By: Larry

Larry — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:15:00 +0000

It always happens, the perfect photo op happens, when you walked off and left the camera at home, or no extra batteries. Or in one case, while instructing a class of youngsters in photography we discovered a water fall that no one knew about, I went to photograph it and I had forgotten to replace the memory card in the camera before leaving home.

By: Maxwell

Maxwell — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:43:52 +0000

1st. something has to catch your eye — and be of intrest to you. In digital photo land, you can take dozens of photos if you like, composing in every imaginable angle….. Then if you can, turn off your automatic features on your camera and do the same thing again changing your settings between shots. This way, you will have a lot of pictures you will want to delete, but will usually wind up with a favorite….. Don’t think the pros find easy shots all of the time, because they take thousands of photos and probably only keep a few

By: VonMansfield

VonMansfield — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:09:45 +0000

Try editing a publication or newspaper. I was an editor for my college’s newspaper. Every night I edited I was presented with hundreds of images and tasked to find the best 5-10 to run in the newspaper. From doing this over the course of a year, I learned about other photographer’s styles and what makes a good photo. Knowing what kinds of photos best tell the stories in the paper, helps you take the photos, which best tell the story. Editing also teaches you to rapidly critique your own photos.

By: Jan

Jan — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:50:05 +0000

I’m starting to see everything in ‘frames’. When driving, I’m mentally looking at the scenery thinking ‘That’s a nice shot.’ or ‘That would make a fantastic photo.’ I don’t always have time to stop, but I make a mental note to come back at a more convenient time or when lighting would be better. Sometimes I’ll pass a subject several times until the lighting is just right, then stop and shoot. I often drive out in the region, off the beaten track so I can drive slow, and just look for an opportunity. With snow on the ground now, I look for the sculpted shapes the wind makes, or a hawk sitting high above watching a field for mice. My friend and I often pick a theme and go out looking for that.

The latest theme we chased was trains. That one day as we drove to another city to get a ‘different’ shot, we passed an old cemetery, turned around and went in. This cemetery was very old and had beautiful statuary and snow laden trees, the sun was bright and the shadows were distinctive. Fresh untouched snow covered everything.

From there we located the train station and discovered, to our delight, that a train was due in within 1/2 hour. While waiting we took shots of the heritage building. Our wait was rewarded with a big bright gold engine pulling shiny silver passenger cars. Upon leaving the station we spotted a cathedral on the top of a hill and stopped there. We had thought to take photos of the outside and soon discovered the doors unlocked. The massive columns and ornate stained glass were just begging to be recorded.

Heading home we grabbed a lunch and went to a local park to eat and found an old fashioned carrousel house beside a river. What a photographers dream! I have to go back in the summer when the carrousel is operating.

Then back in the truck to head home once again and low and behold, we pass a nursery that’s open all year round. We went in and asked if we could photograph some of the exotic flowers. We were given permission and had a ball! They even had a live parrot for a mascot!

The total cost for the day was some gas and lunch.
So pick a theme and go out and shot! You never know where you’ll end up. I get my theme ideas from amateur photo contests on sites like FaceBook and sometimes other contest sites or even what other photographers are shooting.

You don’t wait for an opportunity to happen, you go out and make it happen.

By: Tigreramon

Tigreramon — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:55:36 +0000

I don’t look for those good oops, they just appear in front of me shouting me to take my camera out off my bag, that it why I take it with me almost all the time

By: Don

Don — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:02:25 +0000

Having been a semi-pro and pro photographer for almost 40 years and having a partner that has been an artist and pro photographer for over 30 I could lecture on this subject for hours and only scratch the surface. However, one respondent, John the musician/photographer struck a cord with me,(pun intended),and leads me to some analogies that may help. A master photographer is much like a concert pianist. Natural talent is what probably sets them apart from all the others. In photography that talent is commonly refered to as having a “good eye” and although it can be “acquired”, if you aren’t born with it you probably won’t live long enough to reach the top of the heap. My point is…a good eye is what you are looking for. You can acquire this by looking at every great photo by a master that you can. But you must also be able to identify what makes it great. In music, notes and rythem are the rudiment elements. In photography they are light and composition. With out these there is no music or image respectively. Don’t put down you camera but invest more of your energy in understanding these two elements first. Yes, take your camera everywhere and if you can’t stop to shoot at least shoot with the camera in your mind and shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. However, don’t let yourself become a “digital shot gunner”. That is a person that takes tons of pictures to get one good one and doesn’t really understand why that one is good and all the others aren’t. I know that this sounds like a lot a work but I can tell you two things. When you start seeing the parallels between your work and the masters the gratification far outweighs any kudos you receive from others. And, maybe even more importantly, you will start seeing the world around you in an entirely different and grander way where even the most mundane or qrotesque scene has deep meaning. You will have the eye of a master and none of us can really describe what that is like.

By: T-Fiz

T-Fiz — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:45:09 +0000

I’m reminded of a line from the first Superman movie when photographer Jimmy Olsen asks Lois Lane, “How come you get great stories?” She responds with, “A good reporter doesn’t get great stories Jimmy, a good reporter makes them great!”

Additionally, in Superman 3, after all the hype of what just went on in the city, Jimmy’s boss Perry asks him why he didn’t have any pictures of the day’s events. Jimmy tells him that he didn’t have his camera with him. Perry then tells him, “A photographer eats with his camera; a photographer sleeps with his camera…”

Cheesey references, I know, but I definitely got the point!