Keep it simple with these tips from Russ Burden about utilizing a zoom lens with your camera
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The word SIMPLE comes from the Latin, simplus, which originally referred to medicine made of one constituent. In English, it means plain, basic, uncomplicated in form, nature, or design; without much decoration or ornamentation; presenting no difficulty. This is how I like to think about my photography. I don’t make it complicated and I do keep it simple. Let me take this a step further and apply it to the concept of composition. The more cluttered the image, the harder it is for the viewer to know why you pressed the shutter. Conversely, reduce the composition to its basic elements, and the viewer can easily comprehend what the key elements in the picture are. Include too much and the result is chaos.
So how does one go about simplifying a composition? One way is to move closer to the subject to eliminate clutter surrounding it. Another is to see if the subject can change positions to produce a better angle. A third is for the photographer to shoot from a different angle. But these solutions involve work and the theme of this article is SIMPLE. With this in mind, rather than moving yourself or the subject, stay in the same location and use the power of your zoom lens. It doesn’t get much simpler. If the zoom you have attached is too long, take it off and put on a wide angle zoom. If it’s too short, connect a longer one to your body. Sounds simple? Why then are there still so many photos that contain clutter?
In creating a composition, the photographer has to decide what elements are key. This should be governed by the prime subject or the concept of the image. If there’s no relationship between the background and the subject, eliminate as much of the background as possible. Do this by zooming in to crop the photo more tightly. Fill as much picture space with the subject as the lens will allow. If you’re not doing so already, work with the camera on a tripod as it will allow you to study the information in the viewfinder much more precisely. Take your eye away from the camera, count to ten, and look through the viewfinder again. Rather than immediately re-looking at the subject, this time, look at the edges, top and bottom of the frame. If you’re new to this process, chances are you’ll see some sort of distraction sticking in from one of these areas that you didn’t notice before looking away. The more you train your eye to do this in conjunction with using the capability of your zooms, the more quickly you’ll be on the road to creating award winning pictures.
To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my new book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.
