The Importance of “Getting It Right In Camera”
Antelope Island, Utah, March 2013
“Getting it right in camera”. What does that mean to you? What was your experience? In this post I am going to talk about my original impression of the scene, the mistake I made while taking this photo, and how I attempted to fix it in the end.
Impression of the Scene
This post’s main photo is another photo from my first visit to Antelope Island. This shot was taken at the end of one of the trails. This was about an hour hike through mild terrain and the view at the end was incredible! When we got to the end of the trail, we were able to see on both sides of the island for miles and miles. On the west side of the island, as I was looking out, a saw a vast open field with a small bunch of trees standing isolated in the middle. They reminded me of a group of some beings standing together on their own—alone an isolated, yet strong.
Original Photo and the Mistake
Without much thinking about it, I took one shot, placing these trees almost exactly in the center of the frame. Even thought this original photo communicates well the whole scene and its vastness, my subject (the trees) is lost in this composition. The main issue here is that I did not get this photo right in camera.
The Original Photo
Post Process
After looking at this photo, I wanted to try to salvage it. The first thing I did is crop it in Lightroom. I experimented with every crop I could think off, and I ended up with these two crops that I think feature the main subject, the trees, and still retain the rest of the elements that communicate the scale and the location.
Crops in Lightroom
I also made some basic adjustments, which resulted in the final image featured in this post.
Basic Adjustments in Lightroom
This is not a fantastic photo, but I think it is a perfect illustration of why it is so important to get the photo right in camera in the first place.
Final Thoughts
Knowing what I know now, I would work this scene and find a composition that would feature the trees a lot better. I think the lesson from this example is that I have to get the composition and the photo right in camera, otherwise it will be very hard, if not impossible, to fix it in post production. So when something catches my attention and makes me want to capture it, I have to slow down, and ask myself some questions. Few of these questions include the following: What is it about the subject that is attracting my attention? How can I crop the frame to best feature the subject? Which elements of the scene distract from the subject and which elements support and feature it? This is a learning process and I know that I get better with each photo.
What are some of the questions you ask yourself when taking photos? What process do you go through to ensure you have the photo right in camera? Leave a comment and share your experience!
I believe that anyone can make the most awesome photos they can imagine! All they have to do is learn a few easy basics. I hope to inspire you to also pick up a camera and develop your own photographic vision.
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