The Thing That MUST Happen First - Before It’s Possible To Create A Stunning Photograph

©Trey Ratcliff. All Rights Reserved

We all want to create stunning photographs. It doesn’t matter if we’re professionals, amateurs or something in between.

We haunt the camera shops, learning about and experimenting with all the latest cameras, lenses and filters.

We buy photo books and magazines and read and study until until - bleary eyed - we drop off to sleep at night. Only to dream about - you guessed it - photography.

We spend all our disposable money on new photo supplies, gadgets and gear, yet still we don’t quite capture the stunning photos promised in all the technique books.

Why?

Surprisingly, we seldom actually know what it is we are trying to capture!

For example…

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We see a placid lake with some ducks floating along. What do we do? We grab our gear and start firing away. If we’re using film, a few days or weeks later we get back our prints and - heart thumping with anxiety, we open the envelope and…disappointment.

If we’re using a digital camera, the results are the same, just a little faster.

Before shooting - always (this is important, so let’s say it again - ALWAYS) take a moment to pre-visualize what the final photograph will look like!

Too often we just fire away, hoping to capture something great. But it rarely works out that way.

Have you ever wondered why the great photographers are able to consistently get great shots, and you can’t? Even shooting the same subjects?

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They create the shot in their mind FIRST. They get a clear vision of what the final print will look like - then they decide on what camera, ISO, lenses, filters, lighting and etc. they will need to fulfill that vision.

Don’t slough this off. It’s more important than you think. And, almost no one does it.

Can you imagine Renoir creating a masterpiece painting by putting a bunch of paint on the canvas and waiting to see what emerged? I think not.

I believe it was Michelangelo who, when asked how he created his stunning sculptures, said that he studied the marble until he saw the form trapped inside. Then he chipped away all the excess marble.

Approach every photograph you take with that attitude. Decide what the final version will look like and eliminate anything that doesn’t fit that vision.

Yes, I know there are times when the action is fast and furious and you don’t have any time. Or do you?

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Let’s think about those situations…You are at a football game. Before the game even starts - decide what your dream shot would look like and preplan by gearing up and positioning yourself where the most exciting action is likely to take place. Then when it does - shazaam! You are not only ready but just as importantly, you will recognize the shot when you see it in your viewfinder.

Auto races? Same thing. Baseball, surfing, skiing, bungee jumping? Ditto. A few seconds of thought before you start out can and will take your photography to a new level almost overnight! Still shots and posed portraits are even easier to pre-visualize.

Getting stunning shots will soon become the norm rather than a lucky occurrence. A simple shift in our thinking will do the trick. And it’s free! No new equipment to buy.

Dan Eitreim has been a professional photographer in southern California for over 16 years. His data base exceeds 6000 past clients, and he says that selling YOUR photography is easy if you only know a couple tried and true marketing strategies. He’s created a multimedia presentation that can teach ANYONE how to sell their own photography and generate freelance income in as little as two weeks. To learn more and enroll in a FREE photo marketing course, go to: http://www.PartTimePhotography.com