You would like to take good photographs of real-life situations but you have few ideas for pictures. I suggest you look around you. The everyday world is full of scenes being played by an ever-changing group of actors. You probably passed a dozen picture situations without noticing on your way to work this morning.

The realistic approach to photograph has been perfected in the past by such maters as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Bill Brandt. But while you can learn a great deal from looking at the work of others, any success you can hope to achieve in this field has to come from developing an individual approach.

The main requirement for any photographer has little to do with technical matters. You must develop an awareness¹ of the world around you and the people who live in it, and you should learn to notice when a situation may develop to a point where you will be able to take a good picture. Those who have reached this happy state will be prepared when that moment comes, and will simply raise their camera quickly and shoot. Others who are not so aware will be struggling with camera cases and lens² caps.

Film manufactures³ must be delighted at the thought of the inexperienced photographer setting⁴ out in search of the right situation and the right moment. Many miles of costly⁵ material have passed through thousands of cameras as this endless search continues. But although a lot of this waste must be put down to inexperience, you'll find that even the professionals have to use a lot of film when they are out shooting.

Not every shot is going to be a winner. If you look at the work of even the best photographers, you'll notice dozens of pictures have had to be taken only because they lead up to the successful shot of a situation that the photographer has obviously⁶ been observing through the lens. You may find that you have taken one or two pictures after the right moment has passed as well. There is seldom more than one shot which stands out. There is just one point where it all comes together, and you often have to waste film to catch that precious moment.

1. According to the passage, one can become a better real-life photographer by _____.

A. watching other photographers at work

B. learning⁷ about famous photographers

C. just taking a great many photographs

D. developing skills and ideas for yourself

2. The writer thinks that a photographer is required to _____.

A. go out and search for unusual situations

B. be highly⁸ skilled⁹ in camera techniques

C. be able to tell when a good situation might come

D. have a camera which is easy and quick to use

3. Most likely, to catch the right moment, one must _____.

A. take pictures without too much preparation

B. take a whole series of similar pictures

C. take great care to set up the situation

D. take one picture just at the right moment

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. The waste of film in photography is essential to the production of good pictures.

B. Film manufacturers¹⁰ usually enjoy pictures by inexperienced photographers.

C. Only amateur¹¹ photographers waste film in taking pictures.

D. The waste of film, which is the result of poor choice of subject, is expensive and unnecessary.

5. The passage is _____.

A. part of a book of camera instruction

B. an advertisement for film

C. a history of photography

D. an introduction to photography

KEY: 1. D 2. C 3. B 4. A 5. D