What Makes A
Postcard-Perfect Photograph?
By Andrew Hudson
Four elements are common to all good photographs: simplicity, composition,
lighting, and practice.
Simplicity is actually a deceptively difficult element to capture. What you as a
photographer need to do is let the camera help you simplify the things you see in front of
you. You begin with a very busy canvas (everything in view) and have to work to simplify
by eliminating some of the contents. You can do this either by getting physically closer
to your subject, or by using a telephoto lens to zoom in and crop the shot tighter. When
you photograph a person, for example, photograph his or her face only, rather than the
whole person.
Composition is equally important. An artist's technique, called the "golden
mean," is to divide the picture into imaginary thirds both vertically and
horizontally, like a tic-tac-toe board. Then, place the subject of the photo on or near
those imaginary lines or their intersections. Study photographs that you like and you'll
see that almost every one has thirds that you can find.
Lighting is the third key ingredient. Photos that win competitions almost always
show a skilled use of light. Try to photograph only at dawn, in the late afternoon, and at
dusk, when the low angle of the sun produces rich, warm colors and long shadows. Avoid
shooting at noon, a time when light is very "flat."
Practice: Taking photographs that you like won't take a lot of special,
expensive equipment. But it will take lots of trial and error. Even professional
photographers take many photographs of the same subject to get just one that they like.
Remember, only practice makes perfect!
Copyright 1998 Andrew Hudson for PhotoSecrets Publishing. All rights
reserved. If you want to use this article in any way, please e-mail us for permission. This article was
edited by Matt Wiseman and first appeared in Postcards Magazine, a publication for Carlson
Leisure Group by Cowles Creative Publishing.
 Andrew Hudson is
the author of PhotoSecrets, a new series of adventure
guides that takes you on a photographic discovery of the best views in the best places.
They are the first-ever, full-color, full-length, location-specific travel guides for
amateur travel photography.
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