Good-Bad-Ugly

STRONG PHOTOGRAPHS INCLUDE MANY ITEMS ON THIS LIST:

1. Strong Focal Point
2. Interesting Subject/ Approach
3. Good Directional Light/ Even Light
4. Good Leading Lines
5. Good Placement
   • Centering is appropriate
   • Rule of thirds applied
6. Good framing elements
7. Strong Contrast
   • (color/value/focus)
8. creates emphasis
9. Good Depth o field
10. Simple, uncluttered background
11. Effective point of view
12. strong shape orientated design
13. excellent use of detail
14. excellent use of color
15. effective use of patterns
16. Good horizon line placement
17. excellent clarity, sharply focused
18. good or interesting “mood”
19. Good “abstract” arrangement of element(s)

ELEMENTS:

Line

Texture

Value

Color

Shape/ Form

PRINCIPLES:

Balance

Contrast

Emphasis

Space / Perspective

Rhythm / Movement

Unity

Pattern / Repetition

STRONG PHOTOGRAPHS WILL NOT INCLUDE MANY ITEMS ON THIS LIST:

YOU WILL LOSE POINTS FOR:

1. Not well planned (point & shoot)
2. Subject not very interesting
3. out of focus/ “soft”
4. no focal point/ indistinct focal point
5. centered (try rule of thirds)
6. Not enough light when photo was taken (SHOOT IN THE DAY)
7. Too Far away
8. Little or no contrast, nothing emphasized
9. frame is cut in half
10. subject is crowded to left/right/top/bottom
11. Too much empty space: left/right/top/bottom
12. { Vertical or Horizontal } would be better
13. Background mergers run into subject (“look a tree is growing out of my head”)
14. Too much empty background clutter
15. Too much competing foreground
16. Point of view is average/ uninteresting
17. Needs a foreground anchor for depth
18. Backlighting not appropriate
19. Overexposed or underexposed
20. Adjust depth of field (more in focus, less in focus)
21. Turn off flash
22. Keep camera level
23. Frame appears top heavy
24. Subject needs foreground to move into
25. Too Grainy/ noisy (too dark time of day, or ISO set too high)
26. Not enough available light
27. Amputation of_______________
28. Doesn’t meet criteria of assignment given. (take notes)

Putting all CAMERA functions aside. One of the MOST important skills you will learn is how to well compose your photographs. While we are all entitled to our own personal opinions on what is or is not beautiful, there are a few things you can do to make your photos more aesthetically pleasing to a wider audience. There are also a few things you can AVOID doing to make your photos more impressive! Here is a list of the GOOD • BAD and • UGLY: see attachment:

Click Here

AVOID THESE UGLY overdone PHOTOS- DON’T TAKE THESE PHOTOS:

"My _______________” <---- insert words from below

• my shed
• my house
• my bird feeder
• my satellite dish
• my feet/shoes
• my shoes (on my feet)
• my boots
• my (anything) placed in the grass

AVOID THESE UGLY overdone PHOTOS- DON’T TAKE THESE PHOTOS:

1. “Up the Tree”
2. “Up the Basketball Hoop” <---NO!!!!!!
3. “rear-view mirror”
4. “down the road/street”
5. “down the railroad tracks”
6. “Edinboro/McKean playground” <---been done, not interesting
7. ordinary car (classic cars, expensive, unique cars are fine, but the everyday car usually doesn't gain a lot of interest from viewers.)
8. brick/stone wall without a focal point
9. Other ART work
   1. sculptures
   2. paintings
   3. drawings
   4. grafitti
10. drain pipe
11. plastic “thing”
    1. lawn orament
    2. toys
    3. fasteners to posts or houses
12. car emblem
13. shoe-print in dirt/snow/sand
14. street signs, <---NO!!!!!!
15. warning/caution labels, signs <---signs & labels are distracting & usually add no value to the photo
16. Signs, posters, printed material (license plates, posters)
17. “Ball in Yard” <--- PLEASE do not put a golf, soccer, baseball, football in the grass & take a picture of it!
18. “Flower in Corner” <-- you'll learn to FRAME, however the flower in the corner is NOT interesting!
19. ANYTHING in the grass that was not originally there

P.S. If you are wondering where this list came from. It is from the many many photos that have been turned in with this poor subject matter. Usually it is the result of two situations: 1. Staying in "my back yard" 2. Rushing the assignment, or doing it at the last minute!