subject placement by betsy cherry twin cities photographer

Here ye, here ye! Come one, come all! Don't miss this once in a lifetime chance to see the terrible and weird photos I would normally toss out or ignore due to bad subject placement! The photos you will see were not planned. The goal of this blog is to help illustrate the importance of placing your subjects with care and choosing the best camera angles . . . and, as always, to learn and have fun! It was so much fun to find these, I might do another installment!

ABOVE: What's wrong with this photo of a House Finch? The poor bird has two tails! And he was blessed with a third eye on its neck. Or maybe it's a curse? You decide. I was birdwatching and just by chance caught a shot of this spectacular specimen Can you spot his date that helped make it all possible?

ABOVE: This photo by my dear husband is perfect for illustrating a hilarious oops! Apparently that little hole on the side of the slide was an ideal place to take a leak. Need I say more?! I must have drank a lot that day! We will laugh about this one for years to come.

ABOVE: The problem here is pretty obvious! But don't worry, no animals were harmed in the making of this photo. Silly turkey was simply embarrassed to be caught sneaking along our deck rail stealing birdseed. I snapped this pic just as he turned his head away to leap back down to the ground.

LEFT: Oh boy! Not only does my poor son have a branch blocking his face, he also has a twig piercing his neck! Once a simple mistake like this is noticed, it's hard to ignore!

In portraiture, checking for distractions and mishaps when framing your subject is vital. The simplest mistake can ruin a photo.

These photos may be all in good fun, but when it comes to taking photos for a client, overlooking possible background misfortunes can be detrimental, both to the photos and maybe even the relationship you have with your client. Keep a careful eye on your surroundings to ensure there are no major distractions. Check for tree limbs jutting out of someone's head, or an arm where it doesn't belong. Cars in the background are typically a photo blunder, as are street signs, random people, and ugly objects or trash. Unless these things are meant to add to the story of your photo, leave them out. No one wants a photo of their child in front of a large light post that appears to  be attached, or a senior photo adorned with random on-lookers. Bottom line, make sure your subjects are the focus of your photos.