How can you troubleshoot photography problems when you can't get the right shot?

Don't be scared to experiment with settings. The more you play the more you learn! Sometimes, a small adjustment can make a big difference in the quality of your photos.

I would suggest to first understand why the shot is “not right”. Jumping to adjusting settings without first understanding what it is about the photograph that is not working, will help to develop a more disciplined approach to solving the problem. Rather than haphazardly changing settings without knowing why you should, try to identify 3-5 things that you either don’t love about the photograph or things you would like to see or feel from the photograph. Based on those things, think through what mechanics, settings, general approach would best serve to support those desired changes. This method will help build more confidence and efficiency in problem solving to arrive at your desired result. So, #1: Get Clear on the Problem

1. Basics: Learn how Aperture, shutter, and ISO work together for exposure. 2. Gear: Start with a camera that fits your needs. 3. Practice: Take your camera everywhere, practice regularly. 4. Composition: Learn rules like thirds, leading lines, framing. 5. Study: Analyze the work of experienced photographers. 6. Light: Experiment with natural and artificial light. 7. Editing: Learn basic post-processing for enhanced photos. 8. Community: Connect with photographers, share, learn. 9. Goals: Define specific photography goals, track progress. 10. Curiosity: Explore portrait, landscape, macro, street photography.

Educate yourself. Read and practice and keep up with the latest information on all cameras and techniques, old and new. Pre-visualization (Ansel Adams) is important and using all the right settings should be second nature. Recently my photos were appearing off color, that color temperature in degrees Kelvin was not set correctly so a quick adjustment to a higher color temp was necessary. Also, a student could not find the quickest way to switch to rapid fire on a borrowed camera, not one that I use, but being familiar with settings on most cameras was easy to find on the camera body without scrolling through settings on the monitor screen! Sometimes being a good photographer means being like a good Samurai! You have to know all the moves!

Hire a great professional photographer, the likes of Julian Calder or Adrian Bradshaw and they solve all the problems and just give me back fantastic photos.

In my experience, I take a break. It can be a bit frustrating when you think you have set up everything right , but you are still not getting the right shot. I take my time to calm my mind, maybe for a few minutes, or hours, or even a day. I go back to the studio with a fresh mind and start over. Also, it is ok to make mistakes. The key is to keep practicing.

Typically, when you are not getting the right shot you would want to review your camera settings. Most often than not we pick up a camera and go in for the basic settings, ISO, Aperture and shutter speed. But that is not all : white balance, frame rate, shooting with a specific color profile etc. we mostly have or know what we want but when you look at the screen and things do not look as such, the best thing to do is to check your camera settings first. Every camera has special settings. You would have to navigate the menu to find out.

In my experience, there are a few simple steps you can take to troubleshoot the problems. Check Your Settings: Sometimes, the issue is with the camera settings. If it's too dark, increase your ISO or lower the aperture. If it's too bright, do the opposite. Focus on Focus: For moving subjects, use a faster shutter speed or continuous autofocus mode. Stabilize Your Camera: Use a tripod if you're shooting in low light or using a slow shutter speed. Adjust Your Composition: Move around and try different angles. Follow the rule of thirds for a balanced composition. Lighting Matters: If the light is too harsh, try shooting during the golden hour. If indoors, use additional light sources or reflectors to brighten up the scene.

Wenn ich mal nicht das Foto kreieren kann, was ich wollte, hilft es oftmals, mit etwas anderem weiterzumachen und sp?ter die Idee umzusetzen. Der Kopf ist in dem Moment festgefahren und braucht erst mal eine Pause oder muss sich auf eine neue Idee oder Komposition konzentrieren. Mir gelingen tolle Aufnahmen auch mit kleinen Hilfsmitteln, wie Stoffen oder Kristallen zum Beispiel. Wenn man diese vor die Kamera h?lt ver?ndert man automatisch die Anordnung des Fotos. Das bringt mich dann meist auf ganz andere Ideen, die wiederum dazu führen, dass ich neue Erkenntnisse habe, wie mein Foto umgesetzt werden kann.

Editing, editing and more editing. I take a ton of shots of all my work whether film or digital even AI photography. I edit and edit more! I usually get it done to ten successful images per shoot at least. Some projects more and some less because the subject matter execution wasn’t there. I’m still editing my website!

When I can't get the right shot it is often having the presence of mind of knowing when to stop shooting and analyze the situation. Often because of time constraints we continue rather than taking a step back and evaluating. Is it the lighting, communication with the model, is the styling off etc? Regrouping on the focus of the shot at hand and working with your team to achieve the right results often yields the correct rewards and will get things back on track!

Invite collaboration. If you're working with a team it's your moment to pause and ask someone else to contribute too. Create that open space where people can come in and let you know their thoughts. Creativity is a stream of flow, and you often need someone to put the first splash for water to start going down again.

Shooting in RAW enables you to correct many problems in post as you have more information in the image to highlight or suppress later on. Composition becomes the key. Using the right lens to provide the correct depth of field or perspective at the time of shoot is also important. Rest can be corrected in post processing.

One of the most influential lessons that I learned at the start of my career was to always step back and find another angle. Granted, angle might not be the problem. It might be the lighting, the pose of a model, the composition. The point being, that if you look at what you're shooting from different sides, different perspectives you might find something that you're happy with and something new. Shoot from below, light from the wrong side, mix it up, mess it up. As many guides and tutorials that we read that tell you the 'right' way to shoot something should only be a starting point. Creativity allows you to break the rules and find something else. Find another way :)

Taking art classes help with this because at a basic level you understand perspective and POV - your eye is the lens when you're capturing. Get low to the ground, consider space, let the light process be for after. Consider the 180 rule, subject matter and whether or not to cater to their eye level, or move in a different direction. Consider traditional cinema and camera rules, and their anti, and find a balance that works for you. Let yourself play with space rather than have the space own your point of view.

Never delete your old images. They will be very useful in helping you see how to be better. I used to print my images and get them up on the wall. This means I'd look at them when I'd walk past over a few days or weeks and I'd see where improvements can be made next time I shot something similar. Sit with your work for a while. Never stress over it. Mistakes are always opportunities to learn.

C'est grace aux erreurs que l'on s'améliore . On fait tous des erreurs, quand on a compris pourquoi, on fait pour pas recommencer !

What I have learnt is that there are no bad photos. Each photo you make has a purpose in your storytelling journey. It reveals how you see and can help you improve. Always experiment, see what works and keep practising.

Cuando tengamos una fotografía que no nos gusta es importante verla y hacer un análisis de lo que creemos que falló y con base a ello ponerlo en práctica una vez más para que la siguiente toma o sesión vaya mejorando

No craft or profession can exist without the presence of past mistakes. Mistakes can be unfortunate, inconvenient and even soul crushing. They are also our greatest opportunities to learn. Remember, there is not one pro out there that didn't make at least one huge mistake that they would prefer to forget. Don't be afraid of making a mistake; be afraid of not learning from them. Keep your mind and your heart open to criticism, no matter the sting. You will be stronger and better for it.

If it is your own personal work this may not apply. But as in a job that's being art directed, understand the vision of the marketing and creative team. If you are choking go back to basics ! Most art directors will appreciate that. Do not over cook it ! And when working for someone leave your ego at the door and simply accomplish their vision. Too many photographers don't want to change their ways due to ego. Remember someone is paying you to capture " their " vision not yours.

While all of the above answers are correct, there is always more than one solution to the problem. The first step before any of these is to identify what the problem actually is. Are you not able to establish the right exposure? Is your background the one that best emphasizes your subject? Are you trying to capture what you are seeing in your head as the image you want? All of these could be the problem or it could be none of them. That is why it is important to identify your intention with the image first. Purposeful shooting and knowing your equipment gives you the best possible chances to capture what you actually want.

As an advertising, entertainment and marketing photographer. It's important for you to realize that often things change when you arrive at the location. What's important is that you stay calm and focus on your next idea. The same as when playing music, when you miss play a note. The next note is more important.

Above everything else, don't rush. On commercial work specially, you might be getting pressured by producer, clients, other factors that may not be under your control. Although you will always have time constrains, if things are not working or if you are not happy with what you are getting, take a step back. At the end of the day, your work will out live whatever happens on the shoot day, and that should be your focus.

If something isn't right, it's vital to identify the issue. It might be the mood, the lighting, a subject's expression, the colours in the image, depth of field, composition etc. Maybe being closer would have more impact. Take a few minutes to think it through. I often take 2-3 shots, improving each time, knowing that i'm working towards the final image