Know the difference between "what you see" and "what the camera sees"

A common disappointment when viewing pictures after taking them is the presence of objects in the photograph that you did not notice while shooting. And to aggravate the situation, that unwanted object becomes the "eyesore" in your otherwise good composition. Why did you fail to notice such a nasty object in the viewfinder?

It is common for us to concentrate on objects or part of the visual in the viewfinder that fascinates us. One example is when you want to catch the captivating smile of your subject when taking portraits. When we concentrate on an object, it leads us to see its detail and other things we want to see like elements including colors, textures, highlights and shadows, and many more. But at the same time, it also blurs our perception to some details outside of the area of concentration. (Figure 1B)

Human concentration can be equated to the vista of a long telephoto lens. Focus your attention to the area of interest, and details will be revealed. However, as your attention is around that area of interest, the rest of the visuals become blurred in your perception. This leads to overlook some unwanted details that were actually present in the viewfinder while composing for the picture. Being carried into concentration could result in bad image composition. Some call it "Concentration Syndrome."

On the contrary, camera sees object differently from what we see. This is because the camera does not "concentrate" like humans do. It sees all elements equally where it is focused, plus more – everything within its depth of field. No wonder that even objects that you deemed blurry in the viewfinder get focused in the final picture.

It is important to know the difference between "what you see" in the viewfinder and what the camera actually "sees" before pressing that shutter button. We see what we want to see, but human attention is limited to certain degree causing us to miss some other details. On the other hand, the camera records everything within its view, whether we see it or not. The reader must orient himself to this fact to avoid further surprises in doing the final output.

Be watchful of the presence of solid lines in your background. It could be the power line post, the trunk of a tree or its branches, power line cables, etc. These objects when not thrown out of focus will blemish your good composition.

Use a long telephoto lens and apply the largest aperture applicable. This will insure a shallow depth of field and blurred background.

If you must really use your wide to medium tele basic lens, shoot portrait only at maximum telephoto range and shoot as close-up as possible. Portrait shot from as close as 5 feet, at full opening, yields more blurred background.

In shooting formal portraits, thoroughly check for the subject's clothing. Check for proper placements of collars and/or neck ties before starting to shoot.

Look around the viewfinder and be watchful of placements of lines and patterns. Your point of interest could be easily distracted by these elements.

Find the best camera elevation and check around the area of interest in the field of view in your viewfinder. A slight change of camera position could alter your foreground and background.

Make a test shot. Analyze it on the spot. Somehow you could spot or introduce some ways to improve in your final picture.

To master the abovementioned techniques, one must continue to practice shooting and know the composition of your image of interest. Analyze the image in the viewfinder and compare it with the final photograph. After some time, you will develop your own photographic eyes and your own style will begin to emerge. Remember that most of the challenges and excitement are in taking that picture.