One of the great things about digital photography is that you can take seemingly unlimited images with very little incremental cost.
Gone are the days of film processing and waiting to see what the shot looked like. Feedback on today’s compact digital cameras and Digital SLRs is instantaneous.
But what if your photos aren’t getting any better?
Over my time as a photographer, I’ve developed a little technique that I think is worth sharing with you here. I call it the “SEE” method.
SEE stands for “Subject, Expression, Exposure”. Let me explain.
When dealing with any photography situation, the very first thing you need to determine is your subject. A subject can be tangible (e.g. a person), or abstract (e.g. a concept, like “heat”), but ultimately it is what you are saying in your photograph that counts.
People say that a “picture is worth 1,000 words”. If that is so, then you had better make them count. What is your photograph trying to say? What is the message you want your viewer to read? What statement are you trying to make?
Next, you need to consider the Expression.
This is the “how” component of your image. Which tools (line, shape, form, texture, pattern, tone, colour, space, etc) are you going to use to help communicate your message? What do you need to add? What do you need to remove?
The final step is Exposure. For a lot of a photographers, this is the critical phase. Getting the exposure “correct” (which, by the way, is a matter of interpretation - there is no such thing as “correct” exposure in any given situation), is what will make or break your image.
So, use these three steps to help you refine your photographs. First, determine your subject or message, then identify the items that will help you communicate it, and last (not first) determine the exposure that will give you the best chance of getting your message across.
There’s a lot more that could (and will) be said on this subject, but start following this three-step process, and I’m sure you’ll find that your images improve immensely.
