How do you approach a scene

DiG · 15 May 2010 at 22:17

Ok, so on a continuing quest to learn more, how do you guys approach a scene?

There is often lots of discussion about how to take a good photo in terms of what aperture to use, camera technique etc etc, but less from a creative perspective.

So, when you are out and about with the camera what do you do to try and find interesting subjects? Also when you are trying to take a photo of interesting subjects (be it a person, or building etc) what do you do to try and find the best composition?

My answer: Personally my approach to finding subjects is very haphazard, I just wander around and see what I find, often I will remember to go back to an interesting place if I come across it in my everyday travels. As for composition I am not very good at this and just stick to rule of thirds and getting low

Messiah Khan · 15 May 2010 at 22:44

When trying to work out the composition of a shot, some of the things I am constantly considering are;

The background (Ie, are there any objects in the background that don't add to the shot)
Lead in lines. If there is a stream, wall, shadow line etc, then this can be used as a lead in line.
Foreground interest, if I am getting low, then what is in the foreground is just as important as the main subject. I am looking for textures and colours that work with the rest of the scene.

Rojin · 15 May 2010 at 22:52

I can't really help as I am rubbish at this. The main thing I am personally concentrating on at the moment is what's in the background, as I mess up with this so much!

alexakasloth · 15 May 2010 at 23:17

Background and foreground, what's drawing attention and do the colours contribute?

Derek W · 16 May 2010 at 10:42

A combination of what DiG and Rojin said, although at times I completely forget about composition

ThePirateHulk · 18 May 2010 at 07:40

I walk.

Andy90 · 18 May 2010 at 13:24

Look at the background. Anything sticking out of peoples heads or wires going in through one ear and out the other.

Foreground - look for discarded rubbish, which even in some of the remotest places can be a problem.

Remove camera bags / equipment behind you.

I then start looking at the shot, might be a hedge or fence or path that leads the eye through the shot. Look at how the shot is divided - rule of thirds, both horizontally and vertically. Can you put something on one of the intersections? Does it warrant doing so?

Amp34 · 18 May 2010 at 14:08

I generally bimble around until I find something that looks nice to shoot. A scene: I then look for a foreground interest, as MK mentioned, leading lines or a foreground interest, if a foreground feature I'll have a look round and try and find the best background. Take a few shots and then see what it will look like from a slightly different angle/height/frame (portrait or landscape).

An interesting discussion I read recently was that to shoot a good photo you should be looking at what you want to put into the scene, not what you want to keep out of it. I.e. you like that cliff in the distance so that goes in, that rock in the foreground, that goes in, so essentially you analyse everything in the scene and see if it adds anything, if it doesn't then you try and remove it.