Capturing a Subject in Your Photographs

Capturing a subject is the most important aspect of taking a picture; if you don't have a subject, you don't have a picture. As the old adage goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words," where how do you get words without a subject?

Well, how does a photographer go about framing their subject for picture? It helps if you have a good definition of a subject. A subject is the focal point of your picture, whether it is a small or large part of the photo is up to you, but once you find the subject, it's up to you to take that perfect picture.

Just how do you do that though?

As the Boy Scouts coined, "Be prepared." Know your camera in and out. Make sure you have all the necessary accessories with you to make sure you don't lose out on a shot. Extra batteries, battery charger, more film or a larger memory card, lens' cloth, and/or a tripod.

Once you find your setting, where you're going to take pictures, make sure the lighting is right for the occasion. Improper lighting can kill even the most perfect shots that you can take the time to take right. If possible, try to scope out the location prior to taking shots at it, that way you can know where the lighting is just right. Before taking the picture, make sure you know where the light is, because lighting directly behind you is always bad for a picture. Depending on how you take a picture from the side or front, it can make the picture very interesting. Always avoid bright, direct sunlight; it'll not only make for a bad picture but can often damage the lens.

If using some sort of background, for object or people photographs make sure it is quite simple and solid colors. Blacks, whites, dark blues and greens all work well and go with a variety of colors as long as they do not clash with the objects' color or the person's clothing. Shooting a subject in the foreground will give depth from a variety of angles will give you various shadows and depth to the photograph.