The delightful Suzi Perry (show host)

How, then, would Channel Five approach the subject of helping us to take better photographs? If the first episode of How to Take Stunning Pictures is anything to go by, the answer is ‘very sensibly’.  This new show favours substance over style, offering simple, practical advice to the budding digital photographer.

The format is straightforward.  Each episode deals with a specific area of photography and features an expert in that area.  The expert shares some of the tricks of his trade with two enthusiastic amateurs, gives them each a photographic assignment and reviews the results with them, choosing his favourites among the pictures they have taken.  This week, the topic was portraits and the expert was Harry Borden, known for his many photographs of celebrities.

So, what of the content?  There was plenty of good advice on offer here, ranging from obvious things like the importance of avoiding clutter in the background to more subtle tips such as photographing people in an environment they find comfortable, or thinking carefully about whether each element in the frame adds to or detracts from the overall composition.  Borden was genuinely encouraging to his two students, telling them “your ideas are valid”.  Use of available light was emphasised – a sensible choice, given that most viewers will probably not have access to studios or professional lighting equipment.

The two amateurs were both set interesting assignments.  One had to capture the past lives and future aspirations of teachers, which resulting in some unusual pictures featuring a ballerina and a barrister in a school library!  The other had to photograph an injured war veteran with artificial legs on Millennium Bridge.  Bad weather hampered this assignment, but the end result was a striking image juxtaposing the serviceman’s metal limbs and the metal struts of the bridge, with St Paul’s Cathedral providing a suitably dramatic backdrop.

On this evidence, experienced photographers probably won’t learn a great deal from the series, but I certainly picked up a couple of useful tips just from this first episode and found it interesting to watch the various techniques being put into practice. Channel Five deserve praise for producing something so accessible and so useful to novices.

How To Take Stunning Pictures is on Channel Five on Tuesdays at 7.30 pm. You can find out more at the show’s website, http://five.tv/stunningpictures, and catch up on missed episodes at http://demand.five.tv/.

You can see Nick’s photos on his Flickr profile or pop over and read his blog

Images © Channel 5 Broadcasting Ltd. 2010