Five Tips on How to Help Yourself Compose a Formal Everyday Photograph

Although photography is a predominantly subjective form of art, it is always important to keep a few things in mind when out shooting. 

1. Camera always all ready to go with a few extra rolls of film in your pocket
2. Good light (or ready to make it yourself with a flash) 
3. Awareness of the weather
4. You might not strike gold
5. Keep an open mind

Although these tips might seem obvious, shooting the everyday is more more different than setting up a studio, walking into it, and closing off the rest of the world. That said, you never know what your day will bring, so it is always important to have your camera within reach if you think it’s possible you will be able to slow down for a second or two and snap a photograph. I can count too many times that I’ve regretted being without my camera. And, believe me, the moments that I could’ve shot become more and more remarkable in my head as I continue to dwell on them. 

That said, it’s hard to take your remarkable photo when it’s dark outside or the sun is too harsh. However, this tip is more contingent on how ambitious you are about taking photos, since the magic of photography is that it can happen anytime, anywhere. Curious about shooting in the dark? Find a flash, or even a tripod. Want to shoot when the sun is highest in the sky? Be ready to hide your lens from annoying sun glares, which leads into the third tip: (basically) always have an umbrella with you. Shooting in the rain can be a magical experience, or a camera-breaking experience. It’s up to you.

Next, welcome the fact that you might not strike gold when you try to seek it out. The moments will come to you. Conversely, however, keep an open mind, as there is truly no way to find out what something looks like in a photograph unless you go for it and take the shot.