Can every shot be taken artistically?

Do you find that there are certain shots that will just always be snapshots no matter how much you want to capture them with great composition? There are some people who seem to be able to take ordinary things and make them spectacular. I have a friend who can take a picture of some normal household scene and get 50 flickr comments. She just has something special.

Her house, her style, her kids' clothes... every setting she finds seems to scream to have pictures taken of it. Then I look at my house and I realize there is nowhere in this house to take something that isn't a snapshot -- unless it's an extreme closeup against a wall. I feel like I'm stuck in a snapshot rut.

There are a lot of times that I need a picture of something and no matter how hard I try, it's just never going to be a good photo. The other day, my 2 year old fell asleep on the kitchen floor. It was a moment I really wanted to capture, but I took tons of angles and the pictures are still just snapshots. I'm wondering if it's just me.

We are sometimes our own worst critic, so why not post some of your "bad snapshots" and let us be the judge?

I know what you mean, some people seem to just be born with the ability to compose a shot well, while some of us have to work hard and practice at it. You even see it here at times--you'll see a post with someone saying "new to photography! first pics from my new camera!!" and you'll click on it expecting to see some relatively boring shots, but what you find are some really interesting pictures! This certainly doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen.

Unfortunately I am not one of these "born with it" people, so I have to work at it. I enjoy working at it, and I really enjoy when I surprise myself with something pretty good. I make it a point to be cognizant of the light that I have, as it truly can make or break a photo. Also consider what angle you're shooting from, and how your focal length and distance can change the composition. Finally, really think about what you're choosing to include and exclude from the photo and what these elements might say (or not say) to a potential viewer.

Hope that helps, have fun!

AndreaBFS wrote in post #5340035
I have a friend who can take a picture of some normal household scene and get 50 flickr comments. She just has something special.

Lots of Flickr visitors who are easily impressed?

AndreaBFS wrote in post #5340035
Her house, her style, her kids' clothes... every setting she finds seems to scream to have pictures taken of it. Then I look at my house and I realize there is nowhere in this house to take something that isn't a snapshot -- unless it's an extreme closeup against a wall. I feel like I'm stuck in a snapshot rut.

There are a lot of times that I need a picture of something and no matter how hard I try, it's just never going to be a good photo. The other day, my 2 year old fell asleep on the kitchen floor. It was a moment I really wanted to capture, but I took tons of angles and the pictures are still just snapshots. I'm wondering if it's just me.

Perhaps is just the familiarity of your surroundings that make you think they are mundane and "just snapshots".

FWIW - Some of my favorite pictures happen to be snapshots. Catching the spontaneity and spirit of a child is more artistic than some artsy fartsy contrived situation.

As already suggested, post up a couple and let a fresh perspective comment on them.

I hear you.
It's one thing to have great things to shoot presented right in front of you (especially if you travel a lot) but it does get a bit "mundane" when stuck in your usual surroundings. At least for me I am not too inspired around the house. We have no kids and the only thing that I shoot with regularity are our 3 cats...or maybe some flowers in my yard.

I know a couple of people that just "has and eye" for composition. When I find a photo that strikes me, I try to figure out why and try to make it my own. I find that if I force these ideas just for the sake of it I usually crash and burn. When I am successful, I try to figure out why I think it is. Most of the time it is the result of me "seeing" the shot instead of forcing creativity.

There's certainly a time and place for "snap shots" and I have PLENTY of them. I don't care that they may not be artistically appealing. It's important to record the memories however they are recorded, you know?

When I am in a rut like this, I usually go somewhere with lots of shooting opportunities...like the zoo or the botanical gardens for instance. I would also take a weekend roadtrip somewhere hoping to find some shooting ops as well. It makes it so much easier when there is actually something to shoot.

bildeb0rg wrote in post #5340079
We are sometimes our own worst critic, so why not post some of your "bad snapshots" and let us be the judge?

This is the shot that got me thinking. There was just no other way to take it. I couldn't move the door behind her, couldn't back up any farther because there was no more room. The windows were already wide open, so that was as much light as I was going to get. It was just going to be what it was going to be. A snapshot. No matter how many different angles I tried. I edited quite a bit from the original SOOC shot, too.

To add insult to injury, all of the pictures turned out soft despite confirming later that the focus point fell exactly on her eye. It's not going to ruin my life or anything, but it was such a cute moment (especially when you know that my daughter is the anti-sleeper and wakes up if you breathe near her). I just would have loved to have something more than a snapshot of something that will never.happen.again!

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

She may also just be very popular on Flickr. You are right though some people just HAVE it.

Cute shot!
Love the make-shift pillow.

I like the shot!
Maybe you don't have to include the entire body in the shot?
Sometimes we suffer from thinking we have to include everything....
Are you shooting RAW?
If you are shooting jpg, you might consider using other picture styles. I may be wrong but this looks like the portrait setting?
If you shoot RAW you will be able to do so much more with the image.
Just trying to be helpful....hope I haven't offended.

I would take the shot at an angle (titled). Maybe just frame the head and the shoulder. Add a bit contrast and saturation. Right now, the shot does not pop because it lacks enough contrast and saturation. It may have something to do with the lens. It can be fixed with PP work. One way to improve your composition is to look at a lot of photos. See everything around you like a scene.

poloman wrote in post #5340648
I like the shot!
Maybe you don't have to include the entire body in the shot?
Sometimes we suffer from thinking we have to include everything....
Are you shooting RAW?
If you are shooting jpg, you might consider using other picture styles. I may be wrong but this looks like the portrait setting?
If you shoot RAW you will be able to do so much more with the image.
Just trying to be helpful....hope I haven't offended.

Sometimes a little cropping and adjustment can help, I didn't like the frame to the right. Small file so not much adjustment done and I don't claim to be great at this stuff, just did what I would do if it was my pic.

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I agree that some people just "have it".

I agree that most of us tend to be our own worst critics.

But, I also feel that not everything works as we hope it will. For example, I might plan a shoot of some trees and a rock formations that looks really cool. I'll take different angles and exposures. And all I get is a tree and some rocks.

One time I spent all morning shooting a barn and a gravel road. Finished, turned around, thought the view down the road in the other direction looked kinda cool, and took three shots as sort of an afterthought. One of those three shots hangs on my wall today, and the shots from reason I went there were less-than-inspiring and sit unused and virtually forgotten.

poloman wrote in post #5340648
I like the shot!
Maybe you don't have to include the entire body in the shot?
Sometimes we suffer from thinking we have to include everything....
Are you shooting RAW?
If you are shooting jpg, you might consider using other picture styles. I may be wrong but this looks like the portrait setting?
If you shoot RAW you will be able to do so much more with the image.
Just trying to be helpful....hope I haven't offended.

I agree with this statement. I think this picture could have been fantastic with different composition. I think there's too much space above your child . . . the edit that was done improves this. but, I also think that a tight shot of the head/shoulder (being sure to keep the package in the shot) and close attention to depth of field (keeping it shallow) could have made this shot a keeper.

ryan

I feel like I should add that "snapshots" of one's own kids is not necessarily a bad thing. It's the memories they bring back years from now that will bring a smile to your face, not the artistic quality.

Keep in mind also that a boatload of flickr comments may just be a large network of family and friends of the photographer, and not truly critical comments.

As far as the shot here itself, I kinda like it.

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about the artistic value of a shot like this. You captured a great moment, and you recorded it for your memories. Your daughter will have a good laugh I am sure, once she's old enough to appreciate these types of things.

I laugh at some of my childhood pictures. Artistically they are crap. But I know my parents wanted to record the good times. I am thankful that they did. These "snapshots" are much more valuable than any of the pictures I have taken with my "big expensive camera".

Anyways, again, I would look at photos that appeal to you, study them, find out why they appeal to you, then try to incorporate that into your style.

That's what I do with music. If I hear something I really like, I study it, figure out what is happening and why it pulls me in, then try to make it my own without being a copy cat. Takes some effort and time, but it works out in the end. Also, when I am in a musical rut, I pick a relatively easy tune toi rip through to get my "juices" flowing again. (Kinda like the trip to the zoo or botanical gardens...)