Best of the Best Photos

Off With Their Heads! Things To Avoid When Judging the Best Photographs

There's no rule that says that every snapshot you take has to wind up in the photo album. For the discerning photographer, it helps to weed out the ineffective shots and store only the very best for posterity. Learn how to tell which photos have staying power and which ones can be relegated to the closet.

For some people, a photo album is nothing more than a storage receptacle- a place to throw all the prints that come back from the drugstore, regardless of how good they look (or whether or not they're duplicates!) There's certainly nothing wrong with this attitude- after all, photo albums are designed to keep photographs safe, so there's really no better place to put them. But some people use their photo albums a little differently. If you consider your photo album a work of art that is designed to be enjoyed by anyone who comes to sit on your couch, then you should take a little care in choosing the photographs you display inside.

If you're trying to improve your photo skills, chances are that you're finding yourself taking multiple shots at the same events in the effort to get a good picture. This is great news if you're trying to create a high quality album of all of the best shots- it gives you plenty to choose from. Those extra photographs that aren't that great can easily be put into storage. Don't throw them away unless you keep your negatives, because if something happens to the "good shot" you might need those not-so-good ones. But there's nothing wrong with putting them aside and keeping them out of the main photo album. Consider buying a second album that gets stowed in the closet if you're concerned about saving the photographs but don't want them on display.

When it comes to choosing the photographs to include in your photo album, the key is to look for the basics in each picture. This means watching out for things like cut-off heads and hands, lighting conditions, and blur. If a photograph comes up short in any of those areas, then consider relegating it to the "not so good" pile. A very dark shot of a room will not be interesting to anyone who wasn't there, and a photograph of Uncle Bob sitting at the picnic table that is a complete blur of movement will just make your album look unprofessional. If you really like a photograph but it has a few flaws, check it over to see if there is any manual cropping you can do with scissors to remove the bad parts. If not, think hard before you include it in your album. Remember- you might see the merits in the photograph because it was the only time Aunt Sue smiled, but everyone else looking at the photo is just going to wonder why there's a Port-a-Potty in the background.

Again, creating a photo album of photographs for your own enjoyment is a very different thing from making one for public view or for friends and family. But if you're really working on becoming a great photographer and you want to create a beautiful album, then it may be worth doing some weeding through your photographs while putting them into the book. Also, remember that when you're taking photographs in the future, shoot multiples. Not only will you improve your skills- you'll also end up with plenty of choices to go in the album.