You’re Taking Photos Wrong (Here’s the Fix)

Do you see the difference between this photo and this one? And if you're just going to say, "Oh, one is a grassland photo and the other is in the desert," you're technically right, but in the wrong way. I would argue that both these images actually have a lot in common, even if they were captured on opposite sides of the globe. But it is the key difference between them that makes one photo awardw worthy and the other kind of flat and boring. Both of the photos have a simple foreground with leading lines that bring the viewer's eye from the foreground to the background. The leading line is a bit less visually striking in this grassland photo, but I would argue it's the brown patch that leads the eye from the foreground into the trees in the background. But the key difference is something most new photographers are bad at recognizing. And if this is something that surprises you, be sure to click the like button below and subscribe to this channel for more photography gold nuggets just like this one. Now, here's the truth. Even if you are taking a photo at a beautiful place, your photo will be boring if there isn't just one main subject. Every photo needs one main subject or one hero of the story to keep the viewer's attention. In this case, the hero of this image is the sky. The camera is angled upwards, leaving 1/3 of the image showing the foreground down below and 2/3 of the image showing the sky up above. It does get a lot right. The exposure is right. There are only two dominant colors and there aren't any real distractions that take away the attention from the hero, but the problem is there isn't anything interesting happening in the foreground. So, nothing captures and holds your attention as a viewer. Now let's take a look at image number two. Just with the first glance, your eye lands right on the rock formation in the center of the photo. The leading lines in the foreground also bring all the attention and the horizon line is on the top 1/3 line because the sky is the least important part of the photo. By angling the camera down a little bit, I'm giving this photo a sense of place. This image could only be captured at this one place on Earth. And there is just one thing that is holding your attention and that is the main subject or the hero of the story. Before I show you a few other examples of a strong hero, let me know down in the comments below what you think of these two photos. Knowing what you now know, do you still think the green photo is a good photo? One that you would consider buying or hanging on your wall at home? Here's another example that I've shown on this channel before. This is a photo of a lavender field in Valinsol, France. It actually won a gold award from Master Photographers International. And you can see that it has simple colors. It has an amazing sky and a stunning stone building, which is the main subject of the photo. That building is the one point of interest that keeps you looking at the photo. And it is what makes this an awardwinning photo. And to prove it, here's a version of the almost the same photo where I remove the building from the frame. And now it's still beautiful, but it's hard to keep looking at the photo for a long time. The leading lines in the lavender fields do bring your eyes to the background of the photo, but there are no distractions that trap your eyes in different places. But even with that amazing sky, the simple color palette, and the mountain range in the distance, there is still nothing interesting that keeps you looking at this image. And that's what having a strong hero or main subject does in your images. It's the focal point. And if you don't have one, you can do everything else right, but the image will still be boring, just like this image of the grassy field. So, I'd like to know if you agree with this. Did you learn anything new? Let me know down in the comments below. I will read them all.