SELECTION: CHOOSING YOUR ENVIRONMENT CAREFULLY

When making decisions on how you want your picture to look, there is no decision that carries more influence than environment type. Although obvious, what you want your picture to include, should first be in the picture. If you want to take a beach shot, then you ideally, should be at the beach, same for photos taken in the city, at the racetrack, etc. Choosing your environment, easy as it may be, is quite important, but overlooked.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN MY PICTURE'S BACKGROUND?

When trying to capture your subject, as discussed above, first decide what type of shot you want to take. After that choice is made, look around for areas of interest. Let's take a look at some below:

SHADOWS

The easiest way to generate quality images is to utilize additions that add to the photo-realism. Virtually, by utilizing a game's shadows, you can increase the reality of your shots and therefore, their perceived quality. In reality, utilizing the shadows created by everyday things and or nature, you will be able to create a sense of fineness about your images. Anything can make a shadow, but most common is either buildings or a natural overhang such as trees. Noticing what shadow generators you have in your surroundings is crucial to maximizing overall image quality.

OVERLOOKS

A stunning, yet unoriginal concept, utilizing overlooks to create a fantastic photograph is effective. Overlooks make stunning photographs on their own. Being so, adding Ferrari's new supercar into the mix only serves to make it better. Overlooks, not only increase the quality of your photograph, but when done right can provide great Context. For example: if you're trying to take a photograph of a British car in Britain, then putting something such as Big Ben in your car photograph would be beneficial to help the audience understand the point of the picture.

ADDITIONAL LIGHTING

More on this in our full lesson, Suns & Scapes, but additional lighting sources such as the sun, stars, or streetlights can make a huge difference to photographic appearance. Considering how the sun will impact the amount of light in the shot, or where city lights can play a luminary role, can assist in creating a true masterpiece. All pictures will need some sort of lighting to be captured appropriately, so the more creative you can get with your illumination, the more creative and unique your photograph can be.

Continue with our teaching series to learn more photography techniques such as Context, Zoom, and Orientation. Click here for more from Project Overtake.