A Mental Checklist for “Making” Photographs
There is a lot to think about when you are a deliberate photographer.
I have been asked if there was some sort of list of things I look at or think about before I click the shutter?
There is. I used to have a checklist that included “was the film loaded correctly” as well as “are the dark slides clean” and such.
We don’t do that anymore, but there is still a long list of things that I think about as I am making a photograph. And like anything we all do again and again we become much faster at processing these questions. Some of these happen so fast that I don’t really ‘think’ about them. Others are non-hierarchical — which means there is no order to how they are thought through. And some are dependent on choices made before or after.
But there they are in a list… one that is not meant to be hierarchical. I am sure I could add many more, but this list is pretty basic to what I do.
(What I mean by non-hierarchical is that there is no order to do the list, it is not a “top-down” to-do. All of these things have to flash inside your brain nearly simultaneously. It took a while to get the list to this point and I am quite sure I will catch a few more as I continue shooting.
NOTE: I am a commercial photographer. I do not do weddings, family portraits, or babies. This is a list for commercial photographers working with product, food, and still life. A portrait list would be different as would something created for a landscape shooter.
> OVERALL
Correct horizon. It can either be straight or obviously tilted. A tiny tilt just looks wrong.
Is this the best placement of for the horizon?
Higher?
Lower?
Tangents.
Perfect tangents are a problem, so too can ‘implied’ or ‘near’ tangents if they are not in context.
Are there empty places in the photo (composition) — we need to know not to get rid of them, but only to approve them and NOT be surprised by them?
Contrast: Is there enough contrast in the subject?
What can we do to improve it?
Contrast: is there too much contrast in the subject?
What can we do to improve it
Crop room (super important in commercial photography).
(If we hug the corners there is no room for the client to clean up the crop to fit their needs.)
Background.
What is it doing to enhance the image?
Is it overwhelming the subject?
Is it boring?
Is it too busy?
Foreground.
What is it doing to enhance the image?
Is it overwhelming the subject?
Is it boring?
Is it too busy?
Do I need that much background?
Do I need more background?
Do I need that much foreground?
Do I need more foreground?
Do I need that much surface?
Do I need more surface?
If the background is serving any purpose, is that purpose being met?
Is the surface serving any purpose, and is that purpose being met?
Is there anything in the background that should not be there or will be a problem?
Is every corner as it should be? (Always check the corners)?
If there was no subject in the photo, is the background still interesting?
Should it be?
If there was no subject in the photo, is the foreground still interesting?
Should it be?
Is the lighting on the background interesting, dramatic, or revealing, or is it static, plain, and one-dimensional?
(Neither is wrong, it is just important to know the context of the images.)
Where are we placing the horizon?
Is it high enough?
Is it too low?
Is the portrait orientation the best for this image? Why?
Is the landscape orientation the best for this image? Why?
Will there be a need for correcting perspective?
If yes, have you left enough room around the image to allow it to be cropped without losing the subject? You will have to move back and give plenty of room on both sides if you are going to correct the perspective in the software.
> LIGHTING
Are there specular highlights on the subject?
If yes, are they placed where I want them?
If not, do we need them?
Is the specular transition from highlight to true value sharp or soft?
Will that offer the correct context for the image?
Will the transitions help the viewer to understand the surface or texture of the subject?
Does the specular interfere with any part of the image and make it difficult to see? (Sometimes the specular may break the line of a portion of the design. Or it can
Does the specular enhance any part of the image?
Is the specular defining the shape or texture of the subject?
Should it be?
There is no right answer, but I need to know exactly what that light is going to do. Lighting is not just random, lighting is THE thing that will bring the shot to life.
Will the subject look best with a sharp transition (highlight (specular) to true value, or will a softer transition be better?
Are the highlights being used as a compositional element?
If so, are they successful?
Does the light help the viewer see the shape(s)?
And is it clear and defined?
Does the light show the best way to present the texture?
Does the light help the viewer see dimension?
And does it read clearly in the image?
Does the light help the viewer see the texture?
And is the texture important to the context of the photograph?
Does the surface of the subject show itself with the lighting I am using?
Are the shadows deep or shallow? Is that important?
Are the shadows defining anything in the image?
Do the shadows have sharp transitions or soft transitions?
Are the shadows being used as a compositional element? If so, are they successful?
Looking at both transitions (highlight to the true value, and the true value to shadow) is that what I want for the overall look of the image?
> COMPOSITION
Is it static?
Does everything have its own place? Are they spaced correctly?
Does the space between them create a ‘hero” effect?
(One item separated by more space than the other items will result in that item looking to be ‘special’.)
Is the composition dynamic?
Does the composition create overlapping angles and serpentine lines for the viewer to follow?
Are any of the items in the composition overlapping?
If yes, are they all overlapping something?
Is anything not overlapping, and is there a reason for that?
Do I have leading lines?
Is the composition “graphic” with horizontal and vertical lines either in a perpendicular presentation or leading to a vanishing point (or two)?
Do I have serpentine interest lines?
What relationship does each item have with the others?
Is anything being hidden by something that shouldn’t be?
Is a flag sticking in from the side?
(Does the front wine bottle cover too much of the label of the one behind?)
Are all labels straight?
Are the labels presented evenly to the camera? If not, why not? Is that OK?
Are the things that should line up — lined up?
Perfectly?
If not, does that add interest to the image or make it look sloppy?
Do any of the lined-up items seem to dominate the composition?
Is that what you want?
Things that need to be straight, need to be straight.
Are they?
Is the angle of the camera “working” from a framing standpoint?
Do tall things look tall or do they look squatty?
Is there a better way to present the subject in the context of this set?
Does the POV enhance the look of the subject?
Does the POV show anything that is not relevant to the image?
Is this OK?
Does the POV show anything that may not be relevant to the image?
If so, do we remove it or reposition it?
Would a Tilt-Shift lens allow you to use a better POV?
> DoF
Why did you pick the DoF that you are using for this image?
Is it a shallow DoF?
Is it a deep DoF?
Is the focus too shallow? If yes, why?
Is the focus too deep? If yes, why?
How does the focus affect the main subject?
How does the focus affect the background?
How does the focus affect the foreground?
Is focus an issue?
How could a different focus point alter the photo?
Would it be better to focus stack the image?
Would a different lens help with any of the focus issues you may encounter?
> The Shot Surprises
Reflections
Shiny objects reflect what is around them. Are the subjects reflecting light stands, flags, walls, lumber leaning against a wall, or your shirt?
Are the reflections showing what you want them to show? Or are the reflections simply random based on the position of the set? (Not good — control it all.)
Elements: Are they straight, clean, lit, and generally looking great?
Are there elements that are making visuals we did not intend? (Like a ‘face’, or a horse?)
Check all four corners (again) with a very discerning eye. If things fall apart in an otherwise great image, it is often in one of those damned corners.
NOTE: I did not get into color correction, or various other things that may or may not be useful for every shot. You can add any additional items you wish. We also did not discuss preparation for the post-processing of the image.
I am a photographer, designer, and photo editor. You can find me at my self-named website or at Project 52 Pro System where I teach commercial photography online. This is our tenth year of teaching, and it is the most unique online class you will find anywhere.
You can find my books on Amazon, and I have taught two classes at CREATIVELIVE.
