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How to Take a Dramatic Picture

Lighting is one of the most critical components in photography and when used correctly can be the most important factor in creating a dramatic picture. Other photographic elements including depth of field, lens selection, shooting position and shutter speed also play a part in the process, but lighting remains the most important. Whether the lighting is coming from nature or being created by you in a studio, you need to be able to position either yourself or the lights for the best effect.

Instructions

- 1
  Study the light and the scene you are looking at shooting. Whether this is outdoors or in a studio, a good photographer walks around the scene studying the light and shadows to select the best position to shoot from.
- 2
  Meter the brightest point of the scene you are photographing. This will create a dramatic "low key" picture where the focal point of the picture is well lit and the rest of the scene is darker.
- 3
  Attach a lens to your camera that has large aperture and set the aperture to the widest point. By choosing a lens with a large aperture, it creates a very shallow depth of field that will help to draw the viewer's eye to the subject in the picture.
- 4
  Position yourself where the light nicely illuminates the subject, compose the picture to your liking and focus on the most significant part of the picture. Press the shutter release to take the picture and reposition yourself for additional pictures.

Photography