How to Spot a Good Subject

In order to be a really good photographer you need to acquire many different skills. The single most important and most complex skill is the ability to spot good subjects for your photos. Coming up with the definitive answer to how you spot a good subject is pretty difficult, but we can give you with a few guidelines.

Attention

Photography is all about being tuned in to your surroundings. You need to pay attention to the world around you if you want to be sure not to miss out on any good subjects for your photos. Paying attention will let you have great and sometimes surprising experiences. Photographers are often more aware of what is happening around them than people in general, and this is actually a great privilege.

Paying attention is a sure way of getting good photos.

Find Your Bearings

When are moving around hunting for good subjects it is always important not just to look straight ahead. Make sure to also look up, down, to the side, and backwards. Good subjects can often be found just above your head, but they remain invisible to the photographer who does not pay attention. Sometimes you even need to get down on your knees in order to find tiny but exciting subjects.

Contrasts

If you are in a location that offers good opportunities for finding strong contrasts you are often also near good subjects for photos. There are many possible contrasts as for instance: young/old, rich/poor, quick/slow or large/small. A contrast can also be a contrast of colour, e.g. a blue car in front of a deeply red wall. In general, contrasts lend strength to an image.

Patience

Sometimes, waiting for good subjects is better than actively looking for them. This particularly applies to nature photography where you often need to wait for hours to get the perfect photo. If you are not really a very patient person by nature there is nothing you can do but practice. There is no easy way if you want to bring home truly great photos.

You might as well start practising right away. Being a photographer you get to do a lot of waiting. Blyde River Canyon, South Africa.

Variety

Looking for good subjects for photos, staying in the same place for several hours often pays off. For instance, I once spent an entire day in a fishing port in Croatia. The fishermen bring in their catch early in the morning. During the hours before noon the local residents drop by to do their shopping. The afternoon is the time for tidying up. In the evening everything is readied for the next fishing trip. So this one day actually presented many different situations and consequently many different subjects.

Local Knowledge

In order to find the best photo subjects you will often require other peoples’ assistance. If you are searching for one particular subject that is difficult to find, asking the locals often pays off. This is particularly true if you travel in an area you are unfamiliar with and if research using the internet or using travel books has given few results.

No one without extensive local knowledge would be able to find this glass frog

Knowledge of Your equipment

It is essential to have a good insight and a thorough understanding of your equipment and what it is capable of. This particularly applies to the capabilities of your lenses. It is very important to understand the difference between a Wide-angle lens, a tele lens, and a macro lens, et cetera. The best way to learn how to use your lenses creatively is by practising.