Instructor Insight: The XXX-Factor with Jennifer Spelman

We all know that to make a sharp, well-exposed photograph you need to pay attention to focus, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. But even after you master these elements, your picture still might not have that WOW! effect. To take your photographs to the next level you need to key into something I like to call the "X-Factor" —three of them, actually.

Welcome to the realm of XXX Photography - bet you never thought you'd go there! Here are three considerations that elevate ordinary photos to the extraordinary: 

X1 - Images need a message. 
It may be an emotion, a mood, or a concept. Your photograph needs to speak to the viewer and express a feeling inherent within the subject.

X2 - Images need fitting light. 
Light can be exciting. It can be somber. It has a mood of its own. The light falling on your subject needs to advance and reinforce whatever your message is.

X3 - Images need a sense of design. 
Your viewer needs a road plan for how you want them to move through the frame. Ideally, that design supports the message you are conveying.

Next time, before you push the button, think about these concepts. Don't be intimidated... just like with aperture and shutter speed, over time these too will become second-nature. Incorporating the XXX-Factor into your process will give you the ability to add some WOW to your images!

You can learn more from Jennifer in her workshop
Basics of Digital Photography
March 21-27, 2010

Visit her blog at spelmanphotographic.wordpress.com to see what she's up to.