Snap happy

Anew book, simply titled How To Take Amazing Photos, is the closest thing you’ll get to having a creative director in your pocket. In it photographer Nicholas Goodden suggests techniques as well as some fun projects which will help and inspire you to take the most spectacular and memorable shots.

SHOT FROM THE STREET

The art of immortalising a fleeting moment in a public space, street photography is not limited to ‘the street’. It can be practised in museums and galleries, in an airport, even at the seaside.

Find an unusual perspective. Photographing through a window means you can snap people from a slightly removed point of view.

The best images are ones that provide interest from the foreground to the background.

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

This is the act of capturing anything which isn’t a human creation.

A challenge is to avoid unintentional motion blur. If taking photos outside, aim for still days.

Start with subjects that move slowly, such as snails, or ones that don’t move at all such as fungi.

Fill the frame with as much green background as you can, so the focus is primarily the subject of the shot.

LOW ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Lowering the angle at which you shoot is one of the easiest and most effective ways to produce original, exciting and dynamic shots.

Focusing on a point of interest in the foreground, like pebbles, creates an interesting sense of depth and scale.

Leading lines are lines like the pavement that naturally draw the viewer’s eye towards the key element in a photo. Look for electricity lines, hedges, road markings or rail tracks.

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY

Black and white evokes a certain nostalgia, it exudes a certain class and changes the mood of a photo.

Black and white is perfectly suited to capturing overcast days.

Photographs become more interesting when they include two contrasting subjects, say an industrial metal skeleton and the skeleton of a tree.

USING SILHOUETTES

Making use of backlighting and the silhouettes that result from it, is a great way to create a dramatic edge.

Golden hour is that fleeting moment on certain days, as the sun rises or sets, when the light is warmer and softer than any other time.

Sunsets are magical. Rather than focusing solely on the explosive colours in the sky, look for some foreground detail such as trees, buildings or even people, to create a compelling silhouette.

CAPTURING MOVEMENT

So, how can you communicate a sense of movement through your photograph? The answer is to step out of your comfort zone and exit the automatic settings on your camera or phone.

There are many situations in which black and white seems the obvious choice to create mood and atmosphere. However, other situations call for one thing – colour.

The background in a photograph is key and, if you find the right one, you can even use its colours to your advantage. A billboard with pedestrians walking in front, can also provide a pleasing juxtoposition.

Some of the best photographs have come to life after very long waits in one spot. It is vital to be able to spot opportunities and be quick to react to get the shot.