By Jim Zuckerman
The classic shot of the Arch of Triumph in Paris is always taken from the middle of the Champs Elysees with blurred traffic. It’s a little more challenging than it looks because as the many cars drive by only a few feet from the camera position, the ground vibrates ever so slightly. Getting a sharp picture is challenging. I had to take quite a few to get a good one. My exposure times were usually in the 8 to 10 second range.
In addition to this picture, I wanted to get something different. I used a 16mm wide angle up close to the structure for a distorted view, and then when I got home I added fireworks to the sky. I find that pizzazz like this helps sell my work to calendar publishers, jigsaw puzzle companies, note card companies, and advertising agencies.
In the Making Money with Your Photography course that I teach here at BetterPhoto.com, I explain to students how important it is to use color and drama to sell your work. The bar has been raised very high, and your work has to compete with the best photographers. Knowing Photoshop to the extent that you can replace a sky – just this one technique – is worth many thousands of dollars in future sales.
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