Photo Tips From Our Expert, Chris Gamel

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How many times have you come back from a trip, but been disappointed by the photographs you captured?  You are not alone.  Creating images that accurately capture your adventures is difficult, but it can be done.  Here is a quick photography tip that is guaranteed to improve your images.

Quick Tip for better photographs: Fill the frame with your subject.

Too often we try to include too much in our images.  Amazing events are unfolding in front of us and we want to capture everything.  The problem is that while our eyes are great at ignoring visual distractions, our cameras are terrible at it.  To greatly improve your images, try this little trick.  Ask yourself what you are taking a picture of.  The fewer words you use to answer that question, the better.  Once you have identified your subject, fill the image frame with it.  Usually this means getting closer.  Fascinated by the dexterity of a local artist’s hands, get closer.  Want to capture the look of joy on your child’s face just before she zip lines through the rainforest, get closer.  Want to document that hungry look in the lion’s eye, get closer…..well maybe not.  In this case, it might be better to not get closer and to use a longer lens (you didn’t think wildlife photographers were crazy, did you?).

For example, look at this elephant image.  As she approached, I asked myself what it was that captured my interest.  The answer was obvious, an elephant was walking directly towards me!  Once I decided that the elephant was the subject, I zoomed so that her face and ears filled the frame.  There result is an image with impact that reflects my personal experience.

Now back to you.  How can you fill the frame to create better photographs?

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