How I got the shot #4

This shot is a little different to the previous shots in my ‘How I got the shot series’ in that it’s not of anything particularly exciting, but the result is still a pleasing image.

I spotted this shot while doing a one to one photography session near Deansgate station in Manchester. The sun was getting fairly low and there was a nice light across some cobbled stones that formed part of a road. The yellow of the double yellow lines stood out against the grey stones and I thought it would make a good shot.

I tried several compositions for this. The composition is the most important thing here, as the image is of something flat, so depth of field and aperture isn’t too important, the colours were what I wanted to concentrate on. As the light was getting low and I was hand holding the camera, I knew I needed a wide aperture to make sure the shutter speed was fast enough to get a sharp image. So I just set the aperture, using aperture priority, while taking note of the shutter speed the camera was going to choose and as soon as I was confident that I would get a sharp picture I composed the shot and took 3 or 4 pictures. I then adjusted my position and tried one or two more options before the light dipped behind the buildings and the moment was lost.

So again, not a lot of technical knowledge needed (which seems to be a running theme for my shots) just a little understanding of what would suit the conditions and what I needed to change to ensure a good result.

The key to this shot was spotting it in the first place. What most people would just walk past can sometimes make a good shot so always keep your eye open for that shot, it might be worth it.