Photography tips: Lenses

In this picture the fence was used successfully to create the perception of a "stolen picture". The wing of the aeroplane in the foreground forms a natural frame for the subject, the Spitfire. Although the subject does move from left to right, it is unfortunately too far to the right, not giving the plane enough space to move into the picture.

Be careful with distractions in the background.

Because of the background this picture will be classified as a failure. The pole is growing out of the child’s head. In this instance a small depth of field also wouldn’t have helped, because both distractions are light colours. Even with a small depth of field the background would still be distracting. The background should have been changed before the picture was shot.

The lighting was handled superbly. There are also details evident in the dark and light areas. The subject is walking from left to right into the picture. The horizon is straight and in the top third of the frame. The bright reflection of the son next to the subject draws the eye to the subject. Unfortunately the shadows was beheaded. This picture tells a story.

The movement of the boat was successfully frozen. The movement of the water is still visible, which enhances the perception of movement in the picture. The composition is strong with leading lines from the edge of the boat and the colourful life jackets of the pilots. The attention is immediately drawn to the pilots. The background is subdued enough not to be distracting but sharp enough to follow. A bit more space could have been left in front of the boat.

The wing on top is not in focus, which is distracting. The spot on the main wing is positioned strongly and draws the eye. The background is washed out properly by effective use of depth of field. The picture has beautiful colours and texture which compensates for the lack of a definite centre of interest.

Most of us will put our cameras away in conditions like this. The rocks disappearing in the mist gives depth to the picture. At the top and bottom of the picture large areas are found where no detail is discernable. There is also no definite centre of interest. The photographer could have moved closer to the rocks to eliminate some of the background. The mood is set successfully.

Lots of movement. The motorbike is not quite sharp, but that can enhance the movement of the picture. The motorbike is in a very good position. It is on one of the thirds, moves from left to right into the picture with enough space in front of it. The red colour immediately draw the eyes to the centre of interest.

A lot of texture and very interesting. Something one do not see everyday. The horizon is straight and in the correct third of the frame. There are not too much dark areas. Although there is no centre of interest, the clouds are the subject.

What is wrong with the pictures?