How often do you get a perfect shot?

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April 6, 2017, 1:31 am

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How often do you get a perfect shot?

It’s not very often, that you get a perfect shot straightout of your camera and very often you need to edit your photography using
various Apps, to create a masterpiece. Editing’s can be fun and complicated as
well, with so many options available to choose from and tweak.I consider myself to be a nature lover, I do a lot oftravelling and take place in group expedition, so my camera is my one most
important essentials. Currently I’am using a Sony Alpha a6500 Digital Camera
with LCD with Sony Wide-Angle Zoom Lens. I previously used to owned Sony
Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. I am not a professional photographer. So, here are the most
common problems I encounter and use Photoshop tools to fix them:The photo composition, I use the crop tool to cut out anyunnecessary parts of the photo that I might interested to see in the frame and
straighten tool to align the subject in the photograph correctly.The photograph looks dull, I try to adjust the sharpness,brightness and vibrancy of the photograph.The colour of the photographs looks a bit off, I use thecolour balance to adjust the color of the photographs and tune contrast and
saturation and various other tools. And other issues like over or under exposure and strongshadows and highlights.It looks like a long process, but trust me, it doesn’t takemore than 2-3 minutes to edit each photo. Before I used to edit my photographs
using Photoshop, but it’s been a while I am editing my photographs online,
sites like ipiccy or picmonkey is so much easier.

Comments

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DenisP

DenisP

It honestly does happen on occasion, but it really has to be one of those moments where the stars are perfectly aligned. Usually the amount of editing I do is going to depend on how good the lighting was in my shot, and if I had set my camera to all the proper settings for the situation. The perfect shot is a lot easier to get when I'm in a controlled environment. If I'm indoors and have full control over the lighting and such, odds are I won't be doing much editing in post. On the other hand, if I'm outside with changing conditions, it's a lot harder to get things set up perfectly.

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

You're right. In a controlled environment it's way easier to get your shots perfect, so much so, that you probably wouldn't need to rely so much on editing anymore after that aside from maybe a few minor touch ups. Being outdoors is way different which is where experience really starts to help out since you are much more able to gauge the settings you'd need to use and even anticipate mistakes you'll need to account for when thinking about what you'd need to edit later on.

7 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

Using natural light can really complicate things, especially if you're still new to photography. Sometimes it's nice being in a controlled environment where I can manually change the direction and intensity of the light source for my needs. Outside, I'm at the mercy of the sun and whatever the weather is like.

But in general, I love being outdoors for photography more than anything. There's far more variation for backgrounds, props, and ideas outside as opposed to a studio.

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

In an armature's point of view... I get a satisfactory amount of good shots once in a while. I also think being in a controlled environment with some special gadgets or objects on hand also help in improving the quality of a shot. Good lighting also makes wonders in creating a good shot.

7 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

Getting the perfect depends on numerous thing, for instance, time, camera angle or light. To get a perfect shot, you need to click at the right moment, when there is an action. The best pictures are the pictures that have action. You also need to take pictures from a good angle. What is considered a good angle depends on a number of factors, such as what you want to capture, how you want to capture etc. Light is very important part of photography. Without light, there will be no photo. How you are using light is very important for getting a perfect shot.

6 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

True, but one doesn't necessarily needs to buy expensive gadgets to do so. If you have those, the better, but for those who doesn't, there can be alternatives. For example, lighting can be achieved from our greatest light source "the sun" Take a picture or two in a specific time of day and pictures can turn out great. Also, cameras also take good resolutions when the lighting is good.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

You can of course take great pictures even with your hand held devices. However, the photos you take from your hand held devices cannot produce good prints. You need high end phones, point an shoot camera or D/SLR for better quality pictures. You can use flash to lighten up your subject or background, however, photos taken by flickering flash will not be as good as the photos taken in the natural light. I agree that taking photos during the specific time of the day will reproduce a great quality. However, the question is do you have the patience to wait for the perfect natural light?

6 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Outdoor pictures tend to be the best ones when you are a newbie, or at least that's my personal opinion. As you said, lightning needs to be proper when you're at a studio, and if you don't have some kind of experience, you will definitively make a mess. There's a lot of people out there offering private photo sessions at a very cheap price, that don't have the slightest idea about lights and props, and trying to fix the whole mess by putting photoshop in the end.

6 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

More often than not, I hate cropping my photos. I don't know why, but I hate chopping parts of them out. Because of this, I spend a lot of time lining up the composition of my shot before I snap my shutter. My photojournalism teacher in college called this "cropping in camera", meaning I "crop" the image before I take it. I see photographers who do portraiture just fire off their shutter like a machine gun. I understand this approach, but it's not something I've ever liked doing. I would prefer to set the shot up, and snap two or three shots before moving on.

As for editing, I have a very specific editing style. I shoot in RAW and process all my photos in Lightroom, and I'll generally bring my shadows up, highlights down, and desaturate the photo a bit. I don't know why, but I like having a faded, desaturated look to my photography. If you'd like to see what I mean, you can check out some of my work on my Instagram.

7 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

I think a lot of people hate cropping pictures like you. It's just an annoying thing to have to do and most people would love to not have to crop their pictures but sometimes it is just required. If there is some sort of thing in the background that you can not share online then you may have to crop it. I could just not fire off the camera shutter like a machine gun either, I have to look at the device properly to ensure that the picture that I am taking is perfect and there is nothing weird in the shot that I may have to crop out later.

7 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

"More often than not, I hate cropping my photos. I don't know why, but I hate chopping parts of them out."

Oh man, you don't even need to tell me. Typically I try to set things up perfectly from the get-go, and while putting time into the composition will work out more often than not, sometimes you just have to end up cropping parts of it out anyway.

Usually I think to myself I can crop out this or that in order to improve the overall composition, but I always end up feeling like something is off. Almost like the thing that I cropped out is essential to the composition, even if it doesn't end up agreeing with set guidelines like the Rule of Thirds.

6 years ago

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thisfreespirit

thisfreespirit

This comment has been split into a new thread here.

7 years ago

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Authord

Authord

Legends says that “The perfect shot does not exist” lol. i do get a perfect shot somethings, when am out there in the wild, most of my perfect shot have been taken in the wild, cause i love wild life, that's mostly where i spend my holiday, capturing amazing sights and natures personified beauty in it’s exuberance.
The awkward thing is that the moment i will think of getting a perfect shot , i mostly miss, but when i feel reluctantly on getting the prefect shot, that's when it usually clicks.
And i crop out those that didn't filter the unexpected and make it look eye catchy

7 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

Well, I think the existence of a perfect shot would depend on perspective in the end. What is a perfect shot to one person might be a mediocre shot to another. For example, I’ve taken pictures that I was moderately pleased with, but didn’t think they were perfect by any means. However, when showing the photo to my friend, they thought that literally nothing about the shot could be improved and that the photo was as close to perfection as it was going to be. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all.

6 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Do perfect shots exist? o.O Well, you probably have to learn how to get a perfect shot. But it's not 100% perfect though. Sometimes, perfect shots are only 90% perfect. XD But a very good way to get a perfect shot is to have multiple snap shots and random clicks! At least that's how I get my perfect shots. It works most of the time but you'll have to prepare your fingers. Hah!

7 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

Haha, I operate in the opposite way you do! I tend to set my photos up as carefully as I can before I snap the shutter, that way I don't have sort through a ridiculous number of photos after a shoot. Of course, in the moment, I think I'm setting up a great shot until I get the photos into Lightroom. It's then that I notice little things like "Oh, I cut the models' hands out of the frame" or "their expression isn't what I thought it was through the lens".

I don't think a perfect shot exists necessarily, but anyone is capable of producing impressive shots!

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Yeah. That too.

You can't really tell what their facial expressions will be from your eye's view to the lense's. It may look fine to you but the lens and final result would always tell it all.

Indeed. Impressive shots are often called perfect shots because, well, they are too impressive. But that term is for the norm.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I do not think that perfect shots exist. You may have perfect timing, every now and then, but the subjectivity of the photographer automatically rules out anything close to what would have been a "perfect shot". That's just my opinion, and I hope it's not too elitist. I had a photo shoot done recently by a professional photographer for an author photo for a book, and she took hundreds of shots--I think that maybe I only liked about twenty of them, just because I am insecure about my appearance, but my point is that she had to take multiple shots over and over to get the few, and eventually THE ONE, that we would use.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Of course. Unless she has the raw talent of getting this so called "perfect shot". That is why burst shot modes are invented for the sole purpose of getting the almost perfect shot.

Perfect shots only existed during the "film" days. Specially when you are down to your last one. If you know what I mean. *wink*

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

She is good, don't get me wrong, and she has been at it for over a decade. However, she was using that "burst shot" technique you are talking about, and that is the only way we found a few ways to make my ugly mug look presentable, lol.

7 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

Photography for instances like yours is such a precise art. I had professional headshots taken by a photographer who knew a lot more about anything photography related than I do. His setup was minimal, but he took a ton of different pictures, and in each one, he had my head pointed in the slightest different direction, with maybe even the slightest different in expression.

He told me during the photoshoot that he's gotten pretty good at headshots, and almost considers it a science. He also took maybe a hundred pictures of me, of which I had to choose two to keep. It was a pretty impressive process, really.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

A very meticulous artist indeed. It's not everyday you see someone that takes photography very seriously. I mean, well it should be taken seriously but some people who wants to go and indulge on that business, purely for profit, tend to forget about the "science" behind the job. More like, it's an art and you have to master it. By doing those headshots and mastering them at any given angle, he has proven his worth and credibility on his field of expertise.

7 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

I was thinking about what he said while he was showing me all of the photos he took. He let me whittle the photos down to 10, and then pick two from there. I saw what he meant when I saw 100 versions of my face right next to each other. The slightest different in where my nose was pointed, or how I was smiling or smirking made a huge difference as to how I perceived the photo.

He's been doing it so long and with so many people that he knows exactly what sort of look he needs to get from you for your headshot. He asked me some questions before starting, like "what business do you work in?", "what kind of personality do you have when dealing with your clients?", etc. Those were all things he asked so he could get a feel for what the best direction would be to take for my headshots. Incredible, really.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

It is a precise art, and I was very nervous. I think that the best thing she did was engage me in conversation in order to calm me down and make me into a better subject for the shoot. She helped me to forget that I was in a photo-shoot, and that made for better pictures. No matter how good your photographer is, he or she most likely will not be able to get good head shots when you are as nervous as a squirrel in interstate traffic. She had a minimal set-up as well, and it was an outside shoot, but I was very pleased with the results. My avatar here is actually one of the pics she took.

7 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

Very nice! I take a similar approach to when I have to interview someone on camera for a video. Engaging the talent in conversation and finding some common ground does wonders at helping people warm up to you. That usually helps a ton with making people feel more natural on camera.

I just took headshots for a friend and local actress so she could could put together a resume for some roles she wanted to audition for. I just want to tell this story because it fascinated me. When I had my headshots taken, I just needed some friendly, smiling portraits. This actress said she needed headshots that were smiling with teeth, smiling with mouth closed, not smiling, serious, and intense.

I asked her if she needed these photos because depending on the role she wanted to audition for if she would send in a specific headshot. I.e., if you're auditioning for the kind protagonist, attach a smiling photo, but if you're auditioning for the evil villain, attach an intense headshot. She said yes, that was the reason, and I was very intrigued by that. I wasn't prepared to try and draw those expressions out of her though. All in all, I think it went pretty well!

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

That's why it takes a lot of experience to get those perfect shots, even when they require editing in post. This is why the top photographers and artists are paid as much as they are paid even though the job seems like something that can just as easily be done by an amateur. What you're really paying for is the experience, which in this case, would be accounting for what might need to be fixed later on in post. An experienced photographer, for example, would be able to determine what type of lighting would be easier to fix in editing, whereas an amateur one will just be doing guesswork most of the time.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

That is how common people perceive these kind of jobs. I mean, all they probably see is a group of people taking photos randomly or bursting at once, or it could be a single person doing the photography. What they don't know is it takes a lot of experience and skills to get the desired image and positioning, not to forget the post-edits and finalization.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

To really be very honest about this, photography isn't really my calling, even when I actually took some professional courses to improve on it but it seems not to be clicking well, so therefore I had to drop the passion I had for it and moved over to other fields.

6 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

It's hard to get a perfect shot especially if you are in a rush. Usually, sometimes you get the perfect shot without even meaning it. It's probably easier to get a perfect shot with an actual and proper camera rather than with a smartphone which is what I use most of the time to take pictures. Like said in a comment above, if you really do want perfect shots then it is better to pay a professional photographer to take the pictures

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

DarthHazard,
You have articulated my problem here very well. There have been so many times when I see something amazing right in front of me, some incredible image to capture, but I don't react in time to get it in its greatest grandeur, and I am just left with the "what could've been" memory of a missed photo-op. Like you said above, a nice camera that I have on the ready would be superior than suddenly fumbling with my awkward phone trying to document something haphazardly.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

If one has a good camera and I have one then it what we see on the screen is what we get. I see no reason why a scene needs to be clicked over and over again. Having said that a photographer should know some basics such as the role the sun plays. One should optimise the resources that a camera provides to get the best out of a camera.

Sometimes one gets pleasant surprises as you see in this photo. I did not expect those dew drops.

How often do you get a perfect shot?

7 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

First of all, I would like to commend you for the beautiful photo you have shared.I do believe that having the right equipment and knowing techniques in taking photographs are some of the essential part of any photography. I also believe that it is not always necessary to use or buy expensive gadgets or equipment to create amazing images. Just like what you have said, lighting is one of the most helpful thing to give some character to a photo and you can achieve that by using one of the best light source there is, the sun. Depending on the time of day, the sun provides different kind of lighting which is suitable for the photo you are taking.

6 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

When one gets more than one's expectations as in this photo then it becomes a master piece. The photographer will not tell the world that it was not their creation but nature contributed. Having said that I wonder whether professionals get what they aim for.

6 years ago

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Soulwatcher

Soulwatcher

I usually always end up with a good shot. I am really at lining up the camera and getting the angle and lighting just right. Having said all of that I am only good at daylight shots, I suck at night time shots.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Honestly, it takes a lot of shots until finally get it. Usually, the better ones are on daylight, and on a very spontaneous moment, but whenever I have a mental image of the shot, there's no way that I get it how I want it. In the end, I always end up cropping it, or using effects, and I really don't like my pictures that way. For sure I have a couple of great pics, with amazing background, illumination, colorful and that capture the moment, but is not like my usual result.

7 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

Most professional photographers use upwards of five cameras per shoot just to get the perfect shot. Sometimes - one camera won't capture a scene or moment well enough so they bring in a totally different model that will in a moments notice.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Wow... five cameras per shot? ok, that's not me certainly. Obviously, that's true, sometimes you need more than just one camera to get a perfect picture, and some others is just being in the right place at the right time. Let's say I've been practicing around, so hopefully soon I will be able to take better shots, I honestly really hope so.

7 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

If you're doing a photo shoot with a model or establishing shots for a film or television series then yeah they implement multiple cameras. It's part of the job. That's where most professional photographers make their bank. The film, entertainment or modeling industry. Which includes digital and paper magazines also. I think people who do photography as a hobby probably stick to two at the most. But you're gonna need to expand your arsenal if someone really likes your work and offers to pay you a big check for a photography gig.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Obviously, to get a big check, you need to do the heck of a job. In fact, as you mentioned, film industry always have my admiration when it comes to photography awards. That's when I understand the five or more cameras at a time, showing the action, drama, fantasy, through the lenses, and making it feel or be realistic. Respect to photographers and their teams indeed.

7 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

Recommendations play a role also. Some photogs get into the right project with a major player or two involved. Then if they do a terrific job - they are highly recommended by the director or producers. Which can lead to a long stream of lucrative future work.

7 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

Yes, I agree with you. At first especially if you are a first timer its really hard to control the manual settings on your camera, you still have to find a good settings for your shots depending on the environment you are located. Before I am not fond of taking pictures as I am not that interested about photography but once I tried to seriously took a shots from the place we visited, I just realized how it was stunning to see some shots you have taken that was a good output. Of course you have to practice and familiarized the settings.

6 years ago

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