Conveying emotion or drama in a photo

Sometimes you’ll be at an awesome location or become part of a set of circumstances that almost scream at you to capture the moment. But there other times when it is difficult to decide what you will shoot.  Most likely the viewer of that photograph won’t be as impressed as you were with your choice.

They weren’t there to experience the emotion of the moment or the drama that you felt. So the question for you becomes: “How do I convey those factors in this photograph?”

Some decisions to consider are:

• Look for an unusual angle to provide a unique view of the scene.
• Consider shooting from a higher or lower position than the usual standing elevation.
• Can you move in close or use a telephoto lens to show details usually not noticed or seen?
• Is there a way to achieve more dramatic lighting or would shooting in black/white have more impact?
• Are you able to blur the background to make the subject stand out, or do you need that background to establish location or other information?
• Can you move to a different position to avoid distracting background details?

Any or all of these ideas can be used if it’s not an action shot, but at the same time, setting the camera and choosing the lens make you more ready if any action does develop.

Another help might be to study publications such as National Geographic’s series of 10 books of Stunning Photographs on various subjects or 100 Photographs by the Editors of Time to better understand what it takes to create a memorable photograph. Get to clicking!