The Three Cs of Better Photography

Every photographer knows the power of three. When you want to put a firm foundation under your camera, you use a tripod. Those three legs keep your camera solid, allowing you to take photos that are crisper and clearer.

If you want to put a firmer foundation under your practice of photography, there are three legs to stand on there, too.

At C1M, we offer courses and classes to help you with each of the three Cs.

Camera Control

First and foremost, for better photography, you have to know your camera. Now, I can’t deny that it’s possible to take some great pictures in auto mode. Under the right conditions, you certainly can get results that make you happy. Sometimes. But, if you want to really be in control of your camera – if you want to be able to react to the conditions and set your camera accordingly – you need to know what those buttons and dials do.

Composition

Once you are slinging your camera like a boss, it’s time to think about the more artistic aspects of photography. This is the second leg that better photography stands on. Some people feel like this is something you have to “just know,” and that it cannot be learned. This isn’t true. It is the case that some people seem to come by an artistic eye naturally. But there are rules you can learn and apply that can train your artistic eye, whether it comes naturally to you or not.

Computer Editing

Finally, after you’ve captured great images, you have to address what happens once you get those images out of your camera. Some may be print-ready or shareable exactly as they’re shot. But some may need a little bit of editing TLC. This could be something as simple as cropping a photo to a more desirable size without destroying its compositional merit. Or it could be something more complex. Maybe you’ve discovered a single dead blossom marring an otherwise pristine garden image. Or a facial blemish marring an otherwise perfect portrait. Maybe your images need exposure or color correction in order to really shine. Maybe there’s an effect you can apply that would take an already great image and make it truly stunning. Whatever the case, your computer skills will come into play.

Mastery of the three Cs of better photography takes persistence and practice. Just like anything else you want to get great at. If you have a passion for photography, though, and live for that thrill you get when you capture exactly the image you had in your mind’s eye, it’s more than worth it.

Walter Schnecker, CPP, CPC, CCH

Walter Schnecker is the owner of C1M Photography, LLC, in Amherst, NH. He’s been educating photographers in southern New England and beyond for the last seven years. He loves helping people.