Learn Digital Photography – How to Shoot Photos to Sell As Art

Have you ever wandered into a gallery shop or an art gallery and seen beautiful photographs that are sold as art. Not only are they beautiful but they are also for sale, which means that if you are talented enough you can do the same. You don’t need to be an artist but you do need the eye of an artist with the ability to create a great image.So the bottom line here is that you need to have the ability to compose a great image. Now by following a few basic principles while using your creativity you will be able to do this by following a few simple steps. Of course you would still need to practise, experiment and learn to find your niche, but, it is still possible to create art for sale.1. Simplicity is keyEvery photograph needs a point of focus that catches the eye and leads it into the image. By keeping the image simple and focusing on a key focal point you will achieve good results. Too much in an image confuses the eye and makes it very busy and cluttered. By knowing what to exclude you will emphasise what needs to be included. Remember the KISS principle – keep it simple silly!2. BalanceA good art image should be balanced. Remember to look at the rule of thirds. This occurs by looking at your shapes and the forms that are in the image and placing them carefully so that the image is pleasing to the eye. Symmetrically balanced images have the subject in the middle equally balanced on either side of a central line.3. The rule of thirdsThe rule of thirds says that nothing should be centred in a photo but rather off centred at an the intersection of thirds. Imagine a tic tac toe or noughts and crosses grid superimposed over your image. Where these lines intersect is where you will place your subject or the focal point of the image. Horizons should be placed along the horizontal lines of the grid and strong vertical subjects along one of the verticals.4. Use linesBy focusing on diagonal, vertical, horizontal or converging lines you allow the eye of the viewer to be drawn into the image along one of these lines. Diagonals are especially striking and can be created from any straight line by tilting your camera at forty five degrees. Any line that ends at your focal point will automatically draw the eye into the image along this line to the subject or focal point.5. Positive and negative spacePositive space is the space occupied by the subject or object in the image. While on the other hand, negative space is all the space in between and around the subject like the sky and background. This can be used to good advantage when taking photos. A lot of positive space i.e. the space occupied by the subject causes the subject to be emphasised. A lot of negative space and the subject needs to be carefully placed and is emphasised in a different way. A tip here is that when there is a lot of negative space and the subject is a person, the space should always be in front of them and their eyes looking towards it.By adding these simple keys to your art images you will be guaranteed of images that are great. Whether they sell is another story as there is another element to a great art image. The nature of the subject. You can’t just choose anything as a subject. It’s a matter of trial and error as to what will sell. Good subjects always sell. Once you become well known it becomes easier. Happy shooting!