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Why does this photo catch our eye? What is it about this picture that makes it any better than any snapshot we might take of a child, relative, or friend?
First, it's well exposed; secondly, look at the modeling on the face of this girl ("Modeling" is PhotoSpeak for the highlights -light areas- and shadows -dark areas- that fall upon the subject, giving it the depth and texture necessary for professional results); half of her face is highlighted (lighted), and the other half is in shadow (relatively speaking). The light is coming from the side. This, unlike the "flat" and unappealing look we find in most front-lighted faces, gives the image a three dimensional look, as well as making for an interesting shot. Third, a model looking directly into the lens gives the impression that she's looking directly at us. In young women, this is very often a "sexy" or "intimate" look. And finally, notice how the background has been allowed to photograph as black, eliminating any distractions, and further directing our eye to the subject.
Of course, the fact that the girl is attractive, certainly doesn't hurt; but the important aspect here is for you to look at this photo and notice what about it makes it different from, and better than, most of our pictures.
Another shot of the same lovely girl. Again, she's looking directly at us (into the lens), and again, there is good "modeling" (light and shadow) on the face. Notice how the photographer has used "depth of field" (DOF) creatively in this picture ("depth of field" is photospeak for the areas in a photograph which are sharp, and those which are blurred). DOF is a creative tool in all photographs (what you choose to show as sharp, and what you choose to blur)!
The photographer purposely allowed
us to see enough of the blurred girl in the background to recognize
that it was a girl in a hat (and to establish place and circumstance),
but out of focus to draw our eye to main subject's (lovely) face.
Also notice the creative use of the color blue to highlight the
model's beautiful blue eyes.
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Our final photograph in this series is also striking, for the same reasons as were the two above, but notice how much darker her eyes appear in this picture. Compare the apparent color of the girl's eyes in all three shots. The same model, and the same eyes. The lighting (direction, intensity, intention) is your most powerful creative tool (remember my admonishing you "Control the Light!"?).
Here, too, the model looks directly into the lens (directly at the viewer), but this picture is the sexiest of all - without actually showing anything - because of the photographer's framing (or cropping) of the shot just barely above... well, you get the idea :)
Are you beginning to get a feel for some of the important aspects of photography? Here are the 3 most important ideas to keep in mind with each shot: 1. Have a Theme (youth, innocence, allure, beauty, etc.). 2. Direct the viewer's attention to your subject (focus, lighting, framing, cropping). 3. Simplify your shots (eliminate everything extraneous! Nothing should appear in your shot that distracts from your subject or intention).
