How do you make your photos stand out? Joseph Cheung has some tips
PHOTOS with a “wow” factor never fail to turn heads in admiration. To get one such photo, you need basic knowledge and the right photography gear, and lots of practice.
In this article, I would like to share how you can make impactful photos that can catch viewers’ attention. It may take some effort, a lot of planning and repeat processes. After all, learning to master a skill requires time. The results can be satisfying.
1. LET’S STAGE IT: You might need talents (models) to realise what you have visualised. My photo of the “Love” shape here was in Bali, at a spot famous for “water symphony” action made by the locals. For this photo, I asked one of the talents to make the “Love” pattern with a pail of water. I just needed to prepare, compose the frame and shoot in burst mode so that I wouldn’t miss the shots. Otherwise, I might need to request him to repeat the act.
2. ANTICIPATION: In photography, you can predict things that are going to happen and prepare the shot. Once, I saw a tourist canoeing near a jetty. He stopped by the jetty and chatted with me before jumping into the sea, leaving his paddle behind. I knew he would come back to pick up his paddle and jumped back into the water. I prepared myself for this. Sure enough, he jumped with his paddle, as captured in this photo.
3. FINDING THE PATTERN: In the town of Old Delhi, the flocking birds of the Jama Mosque are a common sight. Finding the pattern here is easy as these birds always fly and circle the area around the mosque. You just need to find the best spot and wait for the birds.
4. CANDID WORKS: In some cases, when you are not ready, opportunities come. This candid photo was taken at a roadside in Agra, India. As I was sitting, I saw some children playing and coming towards me. I was not prepared, but I saw it as an opportunity for a photo. I started to photograph them without having my camera set up properly. The result was quite pleasant.
5. LUCK: When I went to see the Pacu Jawi race in West Sumatera, I thought it would be easy to capture the race as the bulls were guided by the jockey and would run in a straight line. However, in reality, the bulls will not always run straight and photographers will get blocked by other pixmen. In one of the races, however, I had everything going my way; the bulls ran straight, they did not fall, and I managed to capture the action without any problem.
Joseph Cheung is An avid self-taught photographer who resides in Kuala Lumpur. He indulges in photography and travels to capture special moments.