Great Shot!: Learn how to make your own photos picture perfect every time

Michael Maher

"It's not about the camera." Strangers often try to compliment me by saying, "What a nice camera -- you must take great pictures," mistakenly assuming camera gear is the primary reason for a photographer's success. Indeed, photographers typically invest in learning how their cameras work, but believe repeated trial and error is all that’s needed to take great photos. This seldom works. A photographer's skilled eye is the most important factor in capturing superior photos, not the camera equipment. Knowledgeable photographers can shoot far better pictures with mediocre gear than an uninformed novice with state-of-the-art equipment. Unfortunately, many shooters never train their photographer’s eye. “Great Shot!” changes this by teaching a pro’s approach to taking outstanding pictures. Most professionals learn their skills by accompanying another pro on assignment to see how he/she does it. "Great Shot !" lets its readers virtually accompany me to see firsthand how I took my 100 best pictures, learning the tricks of the trade that helped me win me over 25 professional photojournalism awards, including 2-time New England Newspaper Photographer of the Year. Train your eye to see what a professional photographer does. Visualize the best photos for almost any situation. Anticipate great photo opportunities before they occur. Position yourself to react and capture the powerful images. Create photos you can be proud of, good enough to get published. Discover hundreds of tips for making your own pictures professional quality by going on assignment with a professional photographer.