Page 177 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2021

the fence in the photo for scale and realism. Don’t make the bird look like it’s hovering in space unless it’s flying.
Before snapping, always pay strict attention
to the background. A cluttered background takes away from the subject. Shoot from an angle or zoom in to avoid unnecessary clutter. Also watch for people or animals doing inappropriate things in the background or any objects that could appear to be going through a person’s head, like wires or poles. Sometimes, the background is the most important subject, like when someone walks along a beautiful Mississippi beach at sunset.
Don’t fight the sun. The soft golden glow
of early morning or near sunset creates the best light for photography. Always shoot with the sun behind the camera or off to one side.
Compose it so the sun illuminates the most important aspect of the subject, like a person’s face. Instead of always shooting at eye level, try different heights and angles.
Perhaps the most common mistake people make, especially with smart phones, not shooting vertical subjects vertically and horizontal subjects horizontally. For instance, photograph a tall heron standing upright with the camera held vertically. When shooting a duck swimming, turn the camera horizontally.
With digital equipment, a photographer can shoot unlimited photos without paying a penny for film or development. Shoot every subject
or pose multiple times from various angles. Experiment with different settings. Then, keep the best photos and delete the rest.
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