Last time, we took a "walk-thru" shoot and I promised that the next lesson would be on the "Zen" of shooting. Besides the marketing "hype" value to the term, there IS an element of aethetics and thinking involved in shooting to make better photos, whether they are composed for a museum wall or a feature sheet. Here are a few philosophical points and how they should influence your shooting.

- Get the "Big Picture" in that little frame! Look VERY CAREFULLY in the viewfinder. So many of us take shots with some big-ugly-something right in the picture. Why didn't we see that when we shot it? DON'T shoot houses with cars (recycling, ladders, etc) in front. I personally don't like those portable basketball hoops.... LOOK in the frame - check each of the 4 corners to train yourself to not just see the middle area.

- A Camera is not a gun :) You do not have to put every subject or person's head exactly in the middle-crosshairs of your viewfinder. 90+% of the public shoots portraits this way and they are dissappointing - this is the "talking head" thing. Instead, feel free to put your subject anywhere in the viewfinder that makes a more pleasing or informational photo. Show the lake in the background. Include the person's feet! Get "out of the box" when shooting portraits or mid-range subjects - this alone will make your vacation shots better. - For real estate, this means don't always shoot the fireplace smack dab in the middle of the photo. Don't get that chandelier in the way. Etc.

- As you walk around, LOOK for angles that show the amenites and omit the detriments. You are not a JOURNALIST, you are a MARKETER - the camera ALWAYS lies :) Do NOT show powerlines in the rear of a home. Do NOT show rooms with horrendous decor - show something else or exteriors instead (or closely crop to the fireplace as a "detail" and not show the orange shag... The buyer will visit, photo, inspect, and "contingent" everything before they buy... we are not misrepresenting - we are marketing.

- Respect the POWER of photos. Photography influences EVERYone EVERY day. This works both ways: If you have poor listing and promotional photos (including your portrait) then you will severly handicap yourself in all aspects of your business. On the other hand, if you invest your time and savvy to create top-shelf photos, it will amplify your efforts, image, and maybe even get you another sale or listing or two. This boils down to spending a bit of extra time or $ to get good photos with your digicam: Spend time to walk around and get a handful of images to work with. Spend time looking through your viewfinder and trying different angles and ideas. Spend time to learn the basic camera controls. Spend $ to have good, current portraits of yourself if you don't have some already (more than one!) Or get a friend/assistant to try some "informal" shots with your digicam too!
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OK, lesson 6 has been the 3rd quarter "pep rally" and Philosophy speech by the coach... No homework on this one. Next, we'll finish up with the last 2 lessons on the "Digital Darkroom" stuff, coming soon.

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