Photo A: ‘Reflections On Land’ by Patrick Elliott
DEVELOP A CREATIVE EYE
The more you get out and use your camera, the more proficient you become as a photographer. In the process of learning and using your camera, you will develop a better eye from a creative perspective. It is important that you put this “creative eye” to use on a regular basis, not only to maintain it, but also to improve it.
Taking pictures isn’t the only time you have to use your creative eye. You can use it by looking at other people’s pictures to see what you could have done differently, or what factors you will take from their pictures to add to your photography. As you go through your daily routine, you can imagine that you are constantly looking through a viewfinder or LCD screen, and as your eye develops, you will have more and more ideas for creative shots everywhere you go.
You can especially put your eye to use by looking at your pictures before the editing process. Developing this creative eye will benefit you as you are sorting through the pictures after a photo shoot. Put your eye to use by carefully looking at all of your images before deleting any of them. Let me tell you why.
DELETE IT OR KEEP IT?
It is very common to come back to your computer after a photo shoot, dump the images into your computer, and start deleting all the “bad” shots. Or, you may be the type who deletes the “bad” shots in the camera before importing them into your computer. Either way, be careful as you do this because you could overlook a good thing in those shots. The photo above (Photo A) isn’t a planned shot that I took during a photo shoot. It is the result of using my eye before deleting a bad shot. If you look at the photo below (Photo B), it is a bad shot that was not the model’s fault. We were outdoors and the lighting kept changing constantly because the sky was rapidly going through changes. She was in the process of getting prepared for a shot, and I was taking test shots while adjusting my settings to get the correct exposure.
As I got the images from that photo shoot to my computer, the photo that you see below (Photo B) was a “bad” shot that would normally go to the trash bin. But, before deleting it, I put my creative eye to use by carefully looking over it and something caught my eye. I saw a photo within the photo, and decided to open it up in my photo editor to bring this vision to life. I put my crop tool to use, and the result was the photo that you see above (Photo A).
Photo B: Carefully look over a bad shot like this before deleting
HOW SHARP IS YOUR EYE?
Do all that you can to develop a creative eye. I have mentioned a few techniques for you to practice so that your eye can become sharper. It is more than likely that photography may have you spending more time sitting down at the computer rather than the actual photo shoot. Use that time to really put your eye to use. What ways do you develop your creative eye? Have you ever seen something special in a picture before deleting it?
A test shot that would normally be deleted
‘Living Outside’ by Patrick Elliott. Using the creative eye to make good use of a ‘bad shot’ you see in the image just above.
