Getting Rid of Clutter in Your Shotsby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 04 Aug 2008 05:25 PM When you view a prize-winning snap shot you are very unlikely to see a lot of needless clutter in the background. Unfortunately, dead space or undesirable objects often end up in many pictures taken by hobby photographers. The key to eliminating this unwanted space is to move in closer and position the camera in a way that cuts out the clutter or excess headroom. The challenge comes in deciding when to come in closer and when to step back. To find the answer first ask yourself whether the background is interesting enough to warrant being in the shot. Does the background help tell a story about the subject or what was happening at the time the picture was taken? If you are taking a picture of a juggler in front of a building or next to a tree, the background is not saying much. However, if the juggler is standing on a tightrope or in the middle ring of a circus then you would want to add the background to the shot as it helps tell a story. In this case the background also says something about the photographer. It lets viewers of your pictures know that you were visiting the circus. Another reason you want to avoid capturing clutter in your shots is because it will cut down on the amount of time you spend editing your shots. If you can take the best possible shot in the moment you won't have to spend countless hours cropping and fiddling with your images once you are at home. Finally, you will find that eliminating clutter will be a major benefit should you decide you want to enlarge an image. When you get a photo enlarged the subject(s) will appear bigger and if you don't edit out unwanted clutter you will end up with a shot that magnifies your undesired space. Related Articles: Basic Photo Tips for Digital Camera Owners Getting Rid of Red-Eye and Saying Bye-Bye to Blurry Shots Telling A Story With Your Shots Snapping Frameworthy Shots Of Your Kids More Common Sense Tips To Capturing A Frame-Worthy Picture Common Sense Tips To Capturing Frame-Worthy Pictures Cameras: Knowing When To Upgrade Digital Photography 101: Getting To Know Your Camera Getting Digital Pictures To Friends And Family FAST! Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantphotography tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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