Great Escape Publishing

Posted November 29th, 2014 by Lori Allen & filed under Travel Photography.

How’s this for a little post-Thanksgiving food-for-thought…

In a recent article, Time Magazine explored the topic of mindless eating and found there were often common characteristics between those who were always battling their weight and those who maintained a healthy weight.

According to the article, skinny people often approach a buffet line with a plan, for example. They walk around and look at everything up for grabs and then circle back to pick up the items they like best. Those who struggle with their weight, however, often just dive right in without one.

Skinny people don’t leave cereal, soda, or junk food out in sight and instead leave out fruit. People who struggle with their weight often have candy jars out on their desks and hide their fruit in the refrigerator.

This is an interesting thing to think about here in the aftermath of Thanksgiving while we’re all stuffed with food. But it also got me thinking about photography.

Are there certain habits we can form, (like putting fruit out on the counter instead of candy) that will help us improve our photo “health”?

I took a closer look at some amateur photos we received this year on Facebook and by email, and I compared them to those photos in professional photographer Daniel Nahabedian’s portfolio to look for clues.

Here are the skinny on how to be a professional photographer…

AMATEURS TEND TO…

PROFESSIONALS TEND TO…

Shoot whatever they see when they get to a new destination.

Start their trip with a lot of pre-shoot research.

Always shoot at eye level.

Consider light and angle when they shoot.

Just point and shoot without much thought to how someone else might use the image.

Try to make their photo special (a perfectly placed shadow here, a starburst there).

Don’t look at what’s in the background of their photo until it’s on their computer at home.

Always notice what’s in the background and if necessary walk around the subject to find a more interesting background.

PROFESSIONALS TEND TO…

Start their trip with a lot of pre-shoot research.

Consider light and angle when they shoot.

Try to make their photo special (a perfectly placed shadow here, a starburst there).

Always notice what’s in the background and if necessary walk around the subject to find a more interesting background.

Here are a few of Daniel’s photos from Abu Dhabi where we’re going in Feb…

Come with us and…

Trek across desert sands by camel…
Wander through the spellbinding spice, fragrance, and gold markets of a city straight out of Arabian Nights…
See what makes Dubai the grandest, shiniest, greenest (which is weird for a desert), and most extravagant city on earth…
Share the adventure of a lifetime, in the company of an expert photographer…
And return home with a bursting catalog of photos you can sell for $50, $150…even $500 or more (per photo)…

Come spend a week with Daniel by your side, and you’ll naturally start picking up his “pro” habits without even realizing it. You’ll see a huge improvement in your photos over the course of just a few days.

Plus, we’re going to try something new with this workshop and start off with a Dubai and Abu Dhabi Grand Tour which is open to all skill levels for the first few days in Abu Dhabi, followed by a special Abu Dhabi by Night Workshop that includes special effects professional photographers use to make their photos stand out – things like car light trails, starbursts, capturing motion, and more.

There will be an option to opt out of one of these classes if you feel you don’t need both. But for the first time ever, you can take one trip and come home with both beginner and advance-level skills. Sign up to get more details here.

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