The primary concern of most photographers while pressing the shutter button of their digital cameras is whether the outcome would be the picture they are hoping for or just another failed attempt.
Although true that practice makes perfect, many photographers simply keep taking pictures as they go by, without giving much thought to the basic parameters that determine its quality.
In this article, we will list the ten most basic questions that each photographer should ask himself before pressing that button.
Every picture narrates a story of its own and for the story to flow fluently it should be captured in the right manner.
Therefore, the photographer's intention behind taking the shot should be clearly reflected in the final outcome in terms of composition, exposure, framing and other factors.
The elements in the picture might be conveying a particular emotion, may be serving as a record of an event, might serve as a reflection of memories or might be part of a series of shots.
The story featured in the picture may range from being a single image story to a multiple image story set within an appropriate background and theme and creating a lasting impression on the mind of the viewer.
The focal point of the picture is where its center of interest is located and it is essential for the photographer to decide on the focal point prior to pressing the button.
One of the best ways to place the focal point is to follow the rule of thirds in which the screen is divided horizontally as well as vertically into three parts and the position of the focal point corresponds to the intersections of the dividers.
Other effective techniques that can be utilized for enhancing the focal point are blurring the background, enlarging the size of the subject and making use of contrasting color, shape and texture to give the center of interest a separate identity.
Having decided on the main focal point, it is time to consider the presence of secondary focal points as well as their role in the picture.
These focal points pose a competition to the main focal point and it is up to the photographer to decide whether they add to picture or affect it otherwise.
Hence, the secondary focal points can be incorporated if they add to the depth of the picture or alternatively be removed if they cause distraction from the main focal point.
Apart from the main theme, the composition of the picture features the background and the photographer has to make a decision whether to make it blurry or project it in its actual appearance.
In most cases it is the subject that needs to be emphasized rather than the background and it is the subject that should occupy large portion of the frame; this can be easily achieved by moving closer to the subject before taking the shot.
One of the essential points which should be kept in mind while taking a picture is the framing of the shot in terms of horizontal and vertical lines.
A photographer might well keep in mind that a good picture is always free of sloping horizons, leaning people and offline buildings irrespective of whether it has been taken in a landscape or portrait mode.
It is light which adds detail and clarity to the picture and therefore the decision to take a photo must always be preceded by ascertaining the source of light, its direction, whether there is enough natural light or whether one requires artificial light sources.
Similarly, it is the perspective which sets apart an outstanding photograph from a standard or an average shot.
This is the reason as to why photographers who are willing to try different and unusual points of view and try different perspectives happen to take the most memorable shots.
Holding the camera always in the same manner is what most photographers tend to do and although this might work in the majority of the cases, different situations might call for a bit of experimenting and while in some situations taking landscape pictures is great, in others the vertical photographs are probably the better option.
A good photographer always keeps in mind the way the human eye works and the way people look at pictures - viewers are attracted to colors and shapes and are also inclined to follow lines, and using all these different visual factors can dramatically improve the quality of the shot.