Abstract & Creative Photography | Sarasota Photography School

Make your images more compelling…

This workshop focuses on things you can do mostly in-camera to make your images really stand out using most any photographic device including your phone.

The premise here is that most photographic devices today including DSLR’s and phones almost force you into conformity until the vast majority of images look remarkably similar and well, boring. Once you are aware of the 4 major ingredients of a compelling image which include:

1. Color
2. Light
3. Subject
4. Composition

We then explore my favorite in-camera techniques to present a scene a little different than the vast majority of shooters. This helps you develop both a greater understanding for your device as a tool to express yourself, but also an understanding of what draws us to a certain image over a seemingly similar image.

Bring your favorite device for capturing images (I use both a mirrorless DSLR and my iPhone), an open mind and your curiosity and we’ll have a great time.

In the coming days I’ll post a link below to more detailed information, some of the presentation materials and workshop photos to give you a better idea as to what you can expect:

Techniques

Here are just a few of my favorite techniques from the workshop that are guaranteed to make your images more interesting:

1. Consider your background

Before I even take a single shot of a subject I consider different angles that will flatter or highlight the subject. If I can’t find a convenient angle in the scene, I’ll try and create one like in the photo below.

2. Shoot from an interesting angle

95% of all images taken today are shot from eye level looking strait ahead because that’s how we most comfortably see the world, try getting low or high. Just be different, you’ll love the result like this image taken during the workshop using my iPhone.

3. Black & White + Motion Blur

Here I’ve combined a few more techniques like in the photo below taken with an iPhone and shot through a clear plastic plate from my dinner on the beach. This illustrates that even a photo made to be deliberately blury or inferior in quality can be very interesting as everybody else is trying to be too perfect all the time lol…

4. Reflections

Several images to the right utilize varying degrees of this technique to make your images compelling. Reflections are all around you day and night and can be used effectively with most any subject. Seek and you shall find!