A funny guide to taking better pictures, with many examples

1. A Humorous Guide to Better Photography
Dave Shafer
Taking better pictures can be a
piece of cake with these tips

2. The tips we will cover are sort
of like a light touch-up at the
barber. We assume you
already have some basic skills
and we just want to do some
fine tuning.

3. Whether your camera is an old original 1$ Brownie box
camera or the latest mega-camera it is the least important part
of taking good pictures.

4. Most important of all is
your eye and the brain that it
is hooked up to. We want to
train the little man here to
make better choices when
taking pictures.

5. My goal in photography is to express myself while linking
together creativity and humor.

6. I am always looking for
the visual equivalent of
a good joke.

7. My specialty is flower
photography but the principles of
good photography – like having
diagonal lines in your composition
- are universal.

8. Travel can be an opportunity for
good pictures Try to make it to the
gate on time.
Mother ship prepares to feed her young.
If you travel by boat you will have
lots of time to take photos

9. Tip #1
Use unusual perspectives to
make more interesting
pictures.
A direct view may be less interesting
than a slanted perspective

10. An unusual perspective
can enhance the interest
of a scene. A view from
above is often effective.
You can climb up a
church steeple and get a
good view. This is
Nordlingen, Germany

11. Elevated
perspective
can show
patterns that
can’t be easily
fit into a
ground level
photo. Czech
Republic

12. Elevated
perspective
looking down
from a castle
adds a lot of
interest.
Czech
Republic

13. Prague garden – it would have been
better if I could have gotten up a
little higher for this shot.
Edinburgh, Scotland – elevated view of park

14. Back of leaf Base of carnation
Unexpected
perspectives
can add
interest to
closeup
photos.

15. Back of flower (instead of usual front shot) + cropped and flipped

16. Unusual perspectives are interesting and can also have a surprise
element. Here a face closeup becomes mostly abstract shapes

17. An unusual vantage point can
make an exceptional photo

18. Sometimes it is hard
to find the best
perspective for a
photo or for its final
version. This amazing
“Swiss Church on the
Edge” photo from
Luzern shows a
church where you
don’t want to go out
the wrong door. I
shot it from a gondola
with a telephoto lens.

19. But here is another shot from
further away and now you can see
the incredible straight drop and
how long it really is. But with this
photo you can barely see the
church and with the first shot you
can’t see how long the drop is.
So there is no way to get an
optimum single photo.

20. Swimming in
Australia

21. Sometimes a
sign is needed
to explain the
perspective
used in a
photo.

22. People in foreground boat
can lead you into a picture.
– Czech Republic.
Tip #2 – use people to pull
you into a scene

23. Flower
bridge -
Lucerne,
Switzerland.
Boy in front
pulls us into
picture.

24. Here the two statues
lead us into the picture.

25. Here the
people in the
far background
draw us in -
Mainau,
Germany

26. Here the bull leads us into the
picture and the man leads us out.
Ouch!!

27. People
show the
scale of
Linderhof
castle
grounds,
Germany

28. People can
also indicate
the scale of
other content
in the photo,
like in this
family picture.

29. Family photos
tend to be boring
for outsiders. It is
hard to be
original, although
these people have
done it.

30. Holiday themed photos can be interesting

31. Tip #3 – look for
diagonal lines
when composing
a picture.
Diagonals in
photos are
visually much
more interesting
than horizontal
and vertical lines

32. The diagonal
reflecting
pool makes
a better
photo than
if it were
purely
horizontal.
- Fairfield
beach.

33. Rooftop
closeup
with strong
diagonals –
Munich,
Germany

34. Munich, Germany
– wet pavement
reflections and a
diagonal
composition.

35. This photo of the Creature
from the Black Lagoon has
strong vertical and horizontal
lines and that makes for a
pretty static composition.
Here her crooked leg makes
all the difference and puts a
strong diagonal right in the
center. It is a much more
dynamic composition.

36. Here too the girl’s diagonal oriented torso
and legs make for a dynamic image.
And the crocodile’s body is not horizontal in
the photo, making a better composition.

37. Tip #4 – simplify and avoid
distracting backgrounds

38. Be selective in your
composition. Too much
detail can weigh down
a picture with too much
baggage. There is no
need to show the
whole bird, flower,
person, etc. Pick one
center of interest and
then feature that. Crop
a photo if you can do
that.

39. Keep it simple - piling up too
much detail does not make
for a good picture
This cat photo is simple but has
a distracting background of the
nude people.

40. Optimize background – try several different positions from which you take
the photo. Avoid distracting backgrounds.
Pretty , but distracting background Much better

41. Part of a dogwood blossom is just as good as the whole

42. A poppy center has lots of detail. African violet center is also
interesting. Don’t need to show whole plant or flower.

43. Isolate most interesting part and also avoid too much symmetry.
Boring Better

44. Too symmetrical = boring
Much more interesting –
very asymmetrical

45. Less is more, in art – unless you are into tatoos

46. Wasp is a little off-center to avoid too
much symmetry, simple background.
Squirrel has diagonal lines, simple
composition, good background, focus
is on face.

47. Extremely simple
nude photo – uses
a diagonal
composition,
background does
not distract, very
unusual
perspective, has
human interest,
etc.

48. Tip #5 -Look everywhere for the human element
Daffodil Marriage SpatThere are “faces” everywhere

49. “Dancing Orchid Ladies” – looks
like folk dancers
Amazing human detail
in this orchard lady

50. Here is a human
interest shot that
I set up with
some toy
soldiers and a
bumblebee
(dead). It also
has humor and
surprise
elements.

51. It is not hard to catch a bee with a jar, while it is on a flower. I then put it in the
freezer for about 10 minutes, checking often near the end. The bee goes into
hibernation because of the cold. When it has stopped moving completely I take it
out and pose it on a flower, just the way I want it and then take a picture. After
about one minute or so at room temperature the bee revives and flies away.

52. The best human
interest photos
show people in
unusual situations
and/or behaving
in unexpected
ways. Gossiping
while wearing gas
mask, etc.

53. Bug Sex
This photo
combines humor,
surprise, and
humanizes our
possessions.

54. Candid people
photos can make for
memorable pictures.
This has to be one
of the 100 best
photos of all time.

55. “Nude Photography”
This photo has
both humor
and surprise

56. The unexpected always makes for a
stronger photo.

57. “The Critic”
I saw this in
Nuremberg and it
has both humor
and surprise. The
parents were
inside the store.
Europeans are
much more casual
than we are about
leaving children
outside a store
while they go in.

58. In my “A Long Marriage” picture I
used Photoshop to switch the water
reflections, to show that each
partner here has incorporated
elements of the other. Photos can
try to tell a story. But here,
unfortunately, most people do not
notice the switched reflections.

59. Photoshop should be used sparingly and
not draw attention to itself.

60. Tip #6 – try to tell a mini story with
your photo, or imply something
that is about to happen, or show
something surprising.

61. An implied mini-story can engage
the viewer’s imagination.

62. My dishwasher has a special pre-rinse
cycle. I like pictures of animals doing
unexpected things.

63. Animals acting in unexpected ways, like this ninja mouse or the
ostrich reading over your shoulder, always make great photos.

64. Here there is a
great little mini-
story, although a
Photoshop one.

65. In this Post-it ad
he has put her
name (Jane) on
her forehead for
when he wakes
up. An implied
mini-story.

66. Here are two great photos of
something about to happen - mini
stories.

67. Unexpected pairings can
make for great photos.

68. This photo tells a little story but
it is a mystery what it is about.
A sporting event?
When my son became a father of
triplets I knew that he saw them as
an extension of himself, as I showed
by using Photoshop here.

69. This shows a
great mini-story.
She is reading
the Kama Sutra
and he looks very
apprehensive.

70. 6:00 A.M. early
morning mists on
lake at Lakeville,
Connecticut
Tip #7 – experiment
with early morning
photos, late at night,
unusual weather,
water reflections, etc.

71. Neuschwanstein
castle in the mists -
Bavaria, Germany
Mists enhance fairy
tale atmosphere.

72. Frankfurt,
Germany –
dramatic trees
at night.

73. Cologne
Philharmonic
roofs in front
of Cologne
Cathedral,
late at night.

74. Autumn pond reflections and
crabapple water drops

75. Water reflection
-Fairfield beach,
Connecticut

76. It may be hard to achieve some of these tips but it is worth the effort.
(this image reminds me of someone I used to date)

77. 1) Try unusual perspectives
2) Use people to pull you into a scene
3) Try for diagonal lines when composing a shot
4) Simplify and avoid distracting backgrounds
5) Look everywhere for the human element, or
humanizing slant
6) Try to tell a mini-story with your photos
7) Try night pictures, unusual weather, water
reflections Good luck with these tips!