When we get more experience as photographers, we learn how to create unexpected compositions for our audience. The goal is to give our viewers something new, unexpected and interesting for them to enjoy.
What is the ultimate goal of photography? Is it merely to document a person, place or object? Maybe for some. For others, it's an artistic expression.
While we grow as photographers, our audience expects more from us than merely repeating the same old things. They get bored if we don't show them something new.
The trick with an unexpected composition is not just to show the audience something new, but something new that they'll like and enjoy.
That takes time, practice and maybe a bit of luck. You start to see opportunities that you didn't realize before, and that's what leads you to create new photographs to share with your audience.
The post Create an Unexpected Composition appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode209
Use our Lightroom Classic Development Workflow Checklist to get the best results processing your photos and save time wasting tactics that cause rework.
If you think that working your way through the Lightroom Classic Develop module panels from top to bottom is the right order, you're wrong.
We've broken down your post processing flow into three sections to Prepare your photo, Enhance it and then Add Effects.
You'll learn the right order to resize, crop, clean up, apply global adjustments and local adjustments to avoid one control overpowering another one. Download our checklist so you always have the guide with you to make quick work of developing your photos in Lightroom.
The post Lightroom Classic Workflow to Develop Your Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode208
Rhythm and Proportion in photography are two elements of composition that you can use to engage your audience. Rhythm shows patterns that draw the eye closer, while proportion shows how to use objects of different size in your photos.
Rhythm in photography happens when you use patterns, like rings of water emanating out after you drop a stone in a still pond, or rows of seats in a stadium. One of the interesting things you can do is show how to interrupt that pattern, and cause your viewer to pay attention to the interruption.
Proportion deals with the relationship between objects in size and space. We'll talk about how to use either perfect proportion or distorted proportion - and when to use them to engage your audience.
The post How to Use Rhythm and Proportion in Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode207
Use texture in your photography to create a bit of tactile sensory input for your audience, to direct the eye, and add create contrast in your photos.
Texture helps you create a bit of an illusion with your viewer's mind. When they see something with texture, they start to imagine how it feels. That increases their engagement with your photo.
You can use texture to direct the eye to your subject, or create contrast between your subject and background.
Some photographers add their texture in post processing, and we'll discuss some methods to capture texture and combine it with a subject using composite post processing.
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Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode206
Contrast in photography is more than just tonal differences. You can add contrast with color, texture of concepts. We'll help you understand why contrast works and how to use it for your audience.
Contrast helps your subject stand out from its surroundings. You can help emphasize your subjects with color, tones, textures or concepts - like a fish out of water.
The post Why Contrast in Photography is So Important appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode205
Do you know how to choose the right subject for your photo? It's amazing how many random snapshots seem to lack a subject. You can make any subject look good, but it's vital to have a subject in your photo.
You can emphasize your subject with a few techniques:
In this episode, we'll help you understand if you have the right subject and show you have to make it stand out in your photos.
The post How to Choose the Right Subject for Your Photo appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode204
You can use depth and dimension in your photography to help your viewer enjoy a sense of realism. Instead of looking at a flat 2D image, your photos become a window to view your scene.
We'll discuss some techniques to add depth and dimension, including:
The post How to use Depth and Dimension in Your Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode203
Learn how to use movement in your photography to create anticipation, tension and interest in your photos. We'll share some different techniques to imply movement in your still photos.
Movement in photography is a great way to make your audience stop and take a good look at your photos. Movement gives a much more lifelike appearance to your subjects.
People wonder what will happen next, and they engage with your photos as they ponder the possibilities.
The post How to Use Movement in Your Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode202
Understand how to use space and balance in your photo compositions. We'll teach you the five elements of balance and three elements of space, and how to use them in your art.
Everything in your photograph should serve a purpose for the final composition, but how do you know if each element is in the right place?
We'll discuss how you can impact the emotional strength and message of your photography just by using some simple concepts to arrange the balance and space in your photographs.
The post How to Use Space and Balance in Your Photo Compositions appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode201
We're celebrating 200 episodes of visual storytelling on the I Like Your Picture podcast. If you're new to the show, join William and Lee to understand how to improve your photography with visual storytelling.
We'll review the five elements you need to understand when you're taking photos.
Get our free guide to visual storytelling to go over each of these points with photos to show how we implement each step. Just visit:
https://williambeem.com/visualstories
The post Celebrating 200 Episodes of Visual Storytelling appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode200
Every element in your photograph should have some unity together to support your subject and story. We'll talk about why unity is important and what elements you need to consider to create unity in your photos.
You'll learn about the elements that can help you create unity in your photography, such as:
The post How to Create Unity in Your Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode199
Learn how to take outstanding family Christmas photos without missing out on the fun or interfering with your holiday gathering. We'll teach you how to prepare to get the great photos your family will treasure.
You'll learn how to plan your shot list and involve your family to make it work, how to capture the special moments without interfering with them, and ho you can share your Christmas photos with your family and friends.
The post How to Take Family Christmas Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode
Top-Down Photos are an easy way to be creative, either with or without collaborating with someone else. We'll share some easy ways to light and decorate a simple set for your top-down photos.
You'll learn how to plan your top-down photos and design your set. We'll tell you where we find great resources for our top-down photos, and how you can build your set in layers.
Next, we'll share some simple lighting ideas - using either window light or of-camera flash.
We'll review how to support your camera to get a perfect shot every time, from simple steps to using some gear for support.
The post Top-Down Photography Setup Tips appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode197
Knowing how to decide which lens to use can really improve your composition and storytelling in photography. We'll review lens criteria and share how to make the right choice for your story.
A lens is more than just a focal length. You need to consider the angle of view, the bokeh you may want, how it performs in low light photography and even the kind of distortion it causes.
All of these factors about lenses should be part of your decision making process. We'll talk about some of the creative and realistic issues that can affect your next photo.
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Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode196
Photo composition is more than leading lines and rule of thirds. You also have to know what doesn't belong in your photo and what elements shouldn't obstruct each other. We share the photo composition tips no one else talks about.
It helps to understand how people really interact with your photos so that you know how to craft compositions they'll love.
For example, did you know that most people view a photo from the bottom up? How would you change your composition as a result?
What's the best perspective to use with a wide angle lens to show depth? We'll cover all of this and more in this episode.
The post Photo Composition Tips You Should Know appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode195
As a portrait photographer, you want to learn how to improve expression and gesture in your photos. Don't wait for the subject to come up with something interesting. We'll tell you why and how to improve your photos with expression and gesture.
In this episode, we'll share:
Remember, you're not just a photographer when it comes to creating portraits. You're the director and everyone counts on you to make a great photo. There's more to it than just creating a correct exposure.
The post How to Improve Expression and Gesture in Portraits appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode194
Photographers fail more than they succeed. That's why you need to embrace your failures as opportunities to learn. Analyze what went wrong, make some corrections, and try again. We'll help you enjoy the path of incremental improvement in this episode.
You'll learn:
The post Why Photographers Fail More Than They Succeed appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode193
Typography for photographers is a set of tips and advice for photographers who need to use typography for slides, social media and other graphics, but just don't know how to design great looking type. We'll tell you how to get started.
You'll learn why and when to use typography with your photos. Every day issues like:
We'll give you the fundamental rules to make your typography look professional.
Then we'll top it all off with some tips to enhance your typography and enhance your typography.
The post Typography for Photographers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode192
If you're looking for some photo composition ideas to improve your travel photographer, we have a list of things to help you bring out the character of your destination. Go beyond the usual Rule of Thirds and Leading Lines advice with this episode.
You can learn how to drastically improve your travel photography and get an unfair advantage to create better photos. We'll help you know what to look for and find a way to get photos that other people miss.
The post Photo Composition Ideas for Travel Photographers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode191
Snapshots are getting a bad rap among photographers. Yet million of people understand the value of personal stories captured in the moment. Be sure to capture your own stories to share with family and friends.
Life's precious moments won't wait for artistic photography. You need to be ready and engaged to capture some snapshots about the events and moments in life. Not just for yourself, but for your family down the line.
We'll give some tips to help you take better snapshots, but the most important message is to concentrate on getting your moments instead of missing them while you reach for perfection.
The post Why Snapshot Photos are Great for Telling Stories appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode190
We answer your questions about off-camera flash in this episode. Everything from when and why you need to use off-camera flash to where you should place the light. If you're just getting started with flash, check out this episode.
Do you know whether to use eTTL or manual mode for your flash? What affects the results you get when using eTTL? We'll answer those questions and more.
Knowing where to put the light or how to blend flash with ambient light are some common questions we'll also address.
The post Answers to Your Questions About Off-Camera Flash appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode189
The best way to begin photography is to avoid the usual pitfalls that suck in most photographers. We'll help you find your purpose, avoid unnecessary expenses and provide the key to creating better photographs.
Too many beginning photographers get gear happy. We get it. When you aren't sure what to do, buying more gear is fun and a great way to experience. The problem is that great photos don't come from great gear. You have to pull them out of your soul with technique and emotion.
We'll help you forget the idea of buying your way to creating great photos and the results will be much more satisfying.
The post How to Begin Photography in 2020 appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode188
Who should critique your photos? Having a critique can be a valuable experience to learn, but not everyone really knows how to do it well. We'll explain what makes a good photo critique and where to find someone you can trust to do it.
Just as important as a good photo critique, we'll talk about some people who you should avoid when it comes to providing a photo critique. Unsolicited critiques are generally useless, but you also want to watch out for some signs that tell you who can provide a good photo critique and who doesn't have the skills.
Finally, we'll help you understand how to critique other photos and why it's a good exercise to improve your photography.
The post Should You Invite Others to Critique Your Photos? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode187
Learn how to enhance iPhone photos with Lightroom CC. Editing photos on your mobile phone with Lightroom provides a lot of power and saves time. You can take advantage of advanced photo editing features and share on the go.
We'll help you understand how to correct white balance errors in specific locations using the Mix tools.
There's an order of operations to understand which tool to use, as some tools will affect the impact of others. We'll tell you the step-by-step process to make the best results on your photos.
The post Is a How to Enhance iPhone Photos with Lightroom appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode186
Should every photographer learn Photoshop? Clearly, many don't use Photoshop due to the learning curve that comes with it. We'll discuss the pros and cons of learning Photoshop, as well as some alternatives to Photoshop.
We discuss the difference of capabilities between Lightroom and Photoshop. It mostly comes down to how much you need to enhance your photos, or how much you need to manipulate your photos.
Of course, there are tasks that Lightroom simply can't handle, like creating composites, graphics or even scrapbooks. Photoshop is an outstanding resource when you need to add layers of different elements together.
We also discuss some Photoshop alternatives, like Canva, ON1 Photo RAW and Skylum Luminar so you can decide whether you need Photoshop or not.