One of my favorite things about photography and writing is challenging myself to do better. In writing, it’s called editing. Some writers love it. Others loath it.
In photography, it’s about analyzing your photos, and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. For example, in this picture, there was originally a lot of decorative clutter on the table behind the teen. Knowing from past experience that this would distract the viewer’s eye from the girl, I took the time to remove it. Except I left the blue and white vase, figuring it would be okay, and would provide balance to the picture. Wrong. To some people, it might not be a big deal. They don’t even notice it. But to me, it’s still a distraction.
So there you have it. Two tips today for the price of one. Remove all the objects that can distract from the subject, or move your subject away from the clutter (unless the clutter is part of the theme). And take the time to figure out what’s good and what isn’t in your photos so that you can improve on them next time.
Now for the writers out there who are wondering if I love or loath editing, let me just say this: One of my favorite things about playing with Playdoh is trying to mold it into something new and exciting. But that’s a topic for another day.