If you stick to the division into thirds, golden ratio and a correct exposure, you will get a decent photo but not a WOW picture. But the ingredients for a WOW are well known. Light, focal length, perspective and image composition with a clear statement that triggers emotions in the viewer. The WOW picture is ready. The photo below shows a backlight situation with little edge light on the rope and an enhancement by discreet dodging and post exposure (Dodge and Burn) in the area of the footbridge. This technique brings more 3D into a two-dimensional image. The minimalism in the image composition. Although the bird is not even one percent of the image, it is clearly recognizable as the main subject. The negative spaces in the image that do not contain structural information (black and white areas) reinforce the silhouette of the bird.
Even in color photography, I hardly have a photo without curiosity gaps, which are small black areas that are closed and show no structure. They are supposed to trigger the thought in the viewer – „What will be there?“ E.g. a forest with which one sees perhaps still 2 meters in the depth structure and behind it is only black space.
Why is now this bird silhouette no WOW picture (For me just not)? The photo is handicraft cleanly made, it is considered the light and a minimalism. There are Curiosity Gap’s enough spaces for interpretation. So everything is good. No for me not, it triggers in me no emotion. Conclusion: The photo can still be made so cleanly, if it triggers no emotion ensteht no WOW effect.
So enjoy browsing my website, you will surely find one or the other WOW photo.So when is a photo a WOW picture? – It is when you show it to someone you don’t know and their reaction is WOW. For you, it’s a WOW picture when you still like looking at it after 3 years. It’s simple, isn’t it 🙂